Man Allegedly Finds 3 Decomposed Baby Bodies While Cleaning Home After Wife’s Death

KEY POINTS

A man allegedly found the decomposed remains of three babies at his home in France last week
He was clearing the property after his wife died of cancer earlier this month
An autopsy on the remains has been ordered

A man in the French province of Maine allegedly discovered the decomposed remains of three babies while he was clearing his home last week following the death of his wife.

The unnamed man contacted France's National Gendarmerie police force last Monday after discovering the remains of a baby in a locked cabinet in the garage of his home in Mézeray, Sarthe, French media outlet BFM TV reported, citing sources close to the investigation.

The two other sets of remains were allegedly found in a locked cabinet that was stored in a shed located away from the house.

The bodies were placed inside plastic bags and wrapped in clothing, according to the outlet. Two kitchen knives were also found in the bags.

The remains did not appear to be from the same date period, the publication said.

The corpses' advanced state of decomposition may make it impossible to determine whether they were fetuses, newborns or infants, the outlet reported.

An autopsy on the remains has been ordered, a public prosecutor announced Tuesday, according to RTL. An investigation is underway.

The man's wife, who was also not named in the reports, died of cancer on Aug. 10 at the age of 44, and he was clearing the property after her death when he discovered the remains. The couple was said to have been childless, but the woman had two children from a previous relationship.

A similar incident happened in Washington, D.C., in May when a baby was discovered by local police stuffed inside a plastic bag placed in the trash can of a medical facility's restroom.

Officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to a report of an unconscious child in the 100 Block of Irving Street Northwest shortly before 8 a.m. when they were directed to a unisex bathroom and found the infant in the trash can, according to a police report.

The location was a physician's office building, the MPD said in a statement.

D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services medical director Dr. Robert Holman, who accompanied the responders, pronounced the baby dead at the scene.

No additional details were provided, but an investigation into the incident was announced following the discovery.