In an application for a search warrant, Susquehanna Regional Police said a witness reported the fetus was buried in a Marietta-area yard after an attempted abortion.
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — The fetus that was found buried in the back yard of a Lancaster County home on Tuesday was the result of an attempted at-home abortion last year, according to the application for a search warrant filed earlier this month by Susquehanna Regional Police.
The fetus was recovered Tuesday behind a home on Village Square Drive in East Donegal Township, according to police.
In an affidavit of probable cause filed by police on March 6, investigators claim they spoke to a witness who reported she was present in April 2024 when the baby’s mother learned she was pregnant after taking an at-home test.
The witness reported the mother went to an abortion clinic, but was told she was too far along in her pregnancy for them to perform the abortion.
The woman then went online to obtain medication that would cause an abortion with help from her mother, the witness reported.
She took the medication on May 9, 2024, the witness told police.
Around 3 a.m. the next day, the witness reported, she received a text from the woman that said “it (the fetus) just came out,” according to the affidavit. The woman texted that the fetus “was like a full baby” and was “still moving,” the witness reported.
When the witness texted “is it still alive,” the woman allegedly responded “no, cause its lungs aren’t developed.” The woman said the fetus’s movements were “like reflexes,” according to the affidavit.
The woman then texted the witness pictures of the fetus, including photos of the umbilical cord and closeups of its genitalia, according to the affidavit.
She allegedly told the witness she kept the fetus in a container under her bed for two or three weeks before burying it in her yard.
Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni said Wednesday that the fetus had not reached the age of viability and would not have been able to survive outside the womb. He ruled its cause of death prematurity, but did not make a ruling on the manner of death.
Susquehanna Regional Police had no comment on the incident or whether any charges would be filed.