A deceased fetus was found in the Whitfield County Landfill by two employees who were sorting through a bag of clothes in a recycling container on Monday.
The fetus, believed to be born three to four months prematurely, was found in a plastic bag that also contained a blanket and a pair of ladies’ blue jeans, size five, according to a press release from the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office.
A news release called the body an “unborn fetus,” though the body was no longer in its mother and officials declined to clarify whether the fetus was aborted or simply born prematurely.
Officials say employees routinely go through the container in which they discovered the bag containing the child.
The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are investigating the discovery, and the body has been transported to the GBI Crime Lab for further examination, the release states.
This specific large recyclable container held materials from other containers throughout Whitfield and Murray County, so the child had to have been in the container since Dec. 31, according to the release.
Officials say they are concerned for the well-being of the mother of the fetus, as she may be in need of serious medical attention.
Anyone with information is requested to contact the Detective Division of the Sheriff’s Office at 706-278-3029 or the G.B.I. at 706-624-1424.