The body of the "young baby" was in stages of decay and had likely been in the wooded area for some time, authorities said.
It has been days since the body of a baby was discovered off a highway in a wooded area of Kansas City, Missouri, and authorities “do not anticipate any further update anytime soon,” a spokesperson tells Inside Edition Digital.
The infant’s remains were discovered Saturday evening near a street off I-70, the Kansas City Police Department said in a statement obtained by Inside Edition Digital.
The remains were first reported by a neighbor, who believed they saw a body and alerted authorities, KMBC reported.
Upon further investigation by detectives and crime scene personnel, the body was discovered to be that of a “deceased young baby,” whose age, gender and other details are not known, according to police.
The infant has likely been dead for some time due to the stage of decay, KMBC reported, citing authorities.
Authorities are now conducting a death investigation into the matter and working closely with the Medical Examiner’s office to identify cause and manner of death.
While the community is calling for answers, residents of the area say they are not surprised something like this happened in their neighborhood.
“I’m pretty sure all my neighbors would have the same reaction. It’s not surprising,” said Lori Jaster, according to KMBC. “Gunshots regularly, you never know. Constantly people walking, you never know what you’re going to see.”
Jaster told Fox 4 News that the area has multiple homeless encampments, and people are often bringing buggies in and out of the area.
Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Kansas City Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.
