Infant remains found in solid waste dump in West Palm Beach

DETECTIVES IN WEST PALM BEACH EXPECT A LONG INVESTIGATION AHEAD TO IDENTIFY THE REMAINS OF AN INFANT WHO WERE FOUND IN THE TRASH AT A SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY FACILITY. TARA HERNANDEZ LIVE AT THE WEST PALM BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, NOW, AFTER SPEAKING WITH A GENEALOGY EXPERT ABOUT HOW TECHNOLOGY WILL LIKELY PLAY A KEY ROLE IN THIS INVESTIGATION, TAYLOR. YEAH. TODD. YOU KNOW, DETECTIVES HERE TELL ME YOU KNOW THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR THEM RIGHT NOW IS IDENTIFYING THAT BABY THAT WILL HELP THEM SOLVE THE REST OF THIS CASE. AND TO DO IT, THEY’RE GOING TO RELY ON SOME PRETTY ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY LIKE FORENSIC GENIUS, ALLERGY TESTING, AND FORTUNATELY, WHEN YOU HAVE A BABY LIKE THIS ONE, OR A CHILD OR A VICTIM, THEY’RE USUALLY NOT IN THE KNOWN PERPETRATOR DATABASE. THEIR DNA ISN’T IN THERE. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU GET A DNA DEAD END, AND FOR YEARS LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS SORT OF STUCK. BUT THEY AREN’T STUCK ANYMORE. THAT WAS DOCTOR KRISTIN MITTELMAN. SHE RUNS A LAB IN TEXAS THAT SPECIALIZES IN FORENSIC GRADE GENOME SEQUENCING, A STATE OF THE ART EMERGING DNA TOOL. WE’VE SEEN THIS GO FROM JUST COLD CASES TO CONTEMPORARY INVESTIGATIONS LIKE THIS ONE. SCIENTISTS AT HER LAB HELPED PALM BEACH COUNTY DEPUTIES CLOSE A COLD CASE IN 2022, AND THAT SAME KIND OF TECHNOLOGY WILL BE DEPLOYED ONCE AGAIN TO FIGURE OUT HOW AN INFANT ENDED UP AT A SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY DUMP SITE IN WEST PALM BEACH. AS FAR AS EXACT AGE AND TYPE OF BODY PARTS, THEY’RE NOT RELEASING THAT. IN ADDITION TO THE FORENSIC ELEMENTS, DETECTIVES WILL ALSO WATCH SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM THE SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHICH TRUCK DUMPED THE REMAINS. THEN THEY’LL WORK BACKWARD BY LEARNING THE TRUCK’S ROUTE AND NARROWING DOWN THEIR SEARCH. I ALSO CALLED THE SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY TODAY TO SEE IF THEY COULD GIVE ME ANY INFORMATION, A SPOKESPERSON TOLD ME. THEY COLLECT TRASH FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY. NO OTHER SURROUNDING COUNTIES, BUT THEY PICK UP TRASH FROM SOUTH COUNTY ALL THE WAY TO NORTH COUNTY. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN HELP DETECTIVES HERE IN WEST PALM BEACH, GIVE THEM A CALL OR LOOK FOR THE STORY ON OUR

West Palm Beach police are investigating after workers at a trash facility found what they believe are the remains of an infant child.A worker at the Solid Waste Authority’s renewable energy facility on Jog Road called 911 around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to report the find.“We found possible human remains on our tipping floor,” the caller told 911.The tipping floor is where garbage trucks come and dump their loads. “Detectives believe that the remains belong to an infant,” said Mike Jachles, public information officer for the West Palm Beach police. “As far as exact age, type of body parts, they’re not releasing that.”Responding officers spent hours Tuesday night digging through garbage, searching for evidence or more human remains.To identify the infant, Jachles said they will use DNA and genealogy testing to identify the infant.“Unfortunately when you have a baby like this one, a child or a victim; they are usually not in the known perpetrator database," Dr. Kristen Mittelman said. "Their DNA isn’t in there. So, what happens is there is a DNA dead end and for years law enforcement was stuck.” Mittelman runs Othram Incorporated, a company that specializes in forensic-grade genome sequencing. Othram previously helped close a Palm Beach County cold case using it's technology.Previous coverage: Texas DNA lab solves 50-year-old cold case killingOn top of that, Jachles said detectives are now reviewing all the surveillance video from the facility.“To track the movement of trucks coming in to see if they can identify what truck could have brought these remains in,” he said. “And from there, the investigation will work backwards into what was that truck’s route.” The Medical Examiner’s Office currently has the remains and will conduct an examination.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25 Top Headlines Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —

West Palm Beach police are investigating after workers at a trash facility found what they believe are the remains of an infant child.

A worker at the Solid Waste Authority’s renewable energy facility on Jog Road called 911 around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to report the find.

“We found possible human remains on our tipping floor,” the caller told 911.

The tipping floor is where garbage trucks come and dump their loads.

“Detectives believe that the remains belong to an infant,” said Mike Jachles, public information officer for the West Palm Beach police. “As far as exact age, type of body parts, they’re not releasing that.”

Responding officers spent hours Tuesday night digging through garbage, searching for evidence or more human remains.

To identify the infant, Jachles said they will use DNA and genealogy testing to identify the infant.

“Unfortunately when you have a baby like this one, a child or a victim; they are usually not in the known perpetrator database," Dr. Kristen Mittelman said. "Their DNA isn’t in there. So, what happens is there is a DNA dead end and for years law enforcement was stuck.”

Mittelman runs Othram Incorporated, a company that specializes in forensic-grade genome sequencing.

Othram previously helped close a Palm Beach County cold case using it's technology.

Previous coverage: Texas DNA lab solves 50-year-old cold case killing

On top of that, Jachles said detectives are now reviewing all the surveillance video from the facility.

“To track the movement of trucks coming in to see if they can identify what truck could have brought these remains in,” he said. “And from there, the investigation will work backwards into what was that truck’s route.”

The Medical Examiner’s Office currently has the remains and will conduct an examination.

Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25

Top Headlines

Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

Infant remains found in solid waste dump in West Palm Beach

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