Twin Falls Police investigate death of newborn found in Safe Haven Baby Box

BLACKFOOT, Idaho - (KIFI) UPDATE: 10/29/2024 10:38 a.m. – The Bingham County Coroner's Office confirmed that the family of the deceased infant has been found and the body has been returned to them. 

BLACKFOOT, Idaho - (KIFI) The Twin Falls Police Department is investigating the death of a newborn girl found in the Safe Haven Baby Box at Grove Creek Medical Center in Blackfoot on October 13.

The Blackfoot Police Department responded to the scene and initiated a death investigation. The Twin Falls Police Department has since assumed responsibility for the investigation, according to a press release, and is "working closely with our partners at the Blackfoot Police Department."

The Safe Haven Baby Box program offers parents in crisis an option to securely and legally surrender their infants, "allowing parents to relinquish their newborns without fear of prosecution." However, in a Safe Haven Baby Box press release about the incident, it says "Anonymity is only allowed when an infant is safely surrendered completely unharmed."

"Grove Creek Medical Center staff responded immediately to the alarm, indicating a baby was in the box," said Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes. "The medical team removed the infant from the bassinet within a minute. Upon removal, they quickly realized that the infant had passed away long before being placed in the baby box. The Safe Haven Law in Idaho allows for the surrender of an infant who is unharmed and healthy. Therefore, this was not a legal surrender under state law as it does not meet the criteria for Safe Haven surrender."

“We are heartbroken," she continued. Let this be clear: this is an illegal, deadly abandonment."

The Safe Haven Baby Box at Grove Creek Medial Center in Blackfoot was opened on July 9. It is Idaho's only Baby Box. There are 245 Baby Boxes across the country. 52 other infants have been placed in the Safe Haven boxes since 2017.

"We will continue to educate citizens on the stark differences between illegal abandonment and legal, safe surrender of an unharmed newborn," Kelsey said in the release. "In any situation where the Safe Haven Law is violated, our organization will work diligently with law enforcement for justice for the infant who is illegally abandoned."

The Twin Falls Police Department says they will provide no further comments regarding this active investigation and will refer any follow-up inquiries to the Twin Falls County Prosecutor’s Office.

The Blackfoot Police Department will provide no comments and will refer all inquiries to the Bingham County Prosecutor’s Office.