Body of infant found in Ballard remains mystery

The Seattle Police Department and the King County Medical Examiner are investigating the death of a baby whose body was discovered on a roadside in Ballard last week. But they say it will take time to know more about the case.

The King County Medical Examiner's Office is tasked with determining the identity, cause and manner of death for the baby, whose remains were found in bushes along Shilshole Avenue in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. A spokesperson for Public Health Seattle-King County said that analysis could take months.

“This is a tragic situation,” said Dan Strauss, the Seattle City council member who represents the Ballard neighborhood where the body was found.

Strauss said he’s been in touch with Police Chief Adrian Diaz to check on the status of the incident.

“Making sure that it is being investigated, which it is," Strauss said. "Making sure that the medical examiner is doing their analysis, which they are. And then really wanting to make sure that the mother is healthy, and safe."

Strauss said the mother’s identity is unknown at this point. He added that the medical examiner’s analysis will guide the police response.

“The police department began their investigation as if it is a homicide, and the medical examiner’s analysis will determine if it is a suspicious death or if it is indeed a homicide,” he said.

Strauss said if the baby is determined to have been stillborn, it would be classified as a suspicious death rather than a homicide.

“From what the police department has told me, there’s a high likelihood that this baby was a stillborn baby,” he said.

A Seattle resident told KUOW he found the body on Sunday, Feb. 19. But the message left on a nonemergency voicemail was not immediately forwarded to Seattle police, which announced the investigation on Feb. 22.