Bristol County District Attorney’s Office continues to investigate dead newborn found on Route 24 on 40 year anniversary

The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office continues to investigate the death of an infant on a local highway.

On November 6, 1983, a man traveling north on Route 24 stopped at a rest area that bordered the Assonet River in Freetown. At that location, the man encountered a family of four that had stopped in this area to pick mushrooms. They alerted the man that while they were picking mushrooms, they had discovered a deceased infant at that location. The man immediately left the area and drove to the Freetown Police station where he reported this discovery.

The police responded and discovered the body of an unclothed newborn. The infant was determined to be a Caucasian baby boy.

The investigation revealed that the infant had been abandoned in the woods along the highway and had died several hours prior to the discovery of his body. An autopsy was subsequently performed and revealed that the infant child had died as a result of exposure to the elements after having been left unclothed in the cold for a number of hours preceding his death.

The infant was later buried at the Notre Dame Cemetery in Fall River.

A sample of blood taken from the child’s body was tested and a DNA profile was obtained. The District Attorney’s Office is actively working with the FBI’s Genealogy Unit and Othram to identify this child.

If you have any information, reach out to Massachusetts State Police Lt. Ann Marie Robertson at (508) 961-1918 or email Lt. Robertson at AnnMarie.Robertson@pol.state.ma.us

Massachusetts State Police can also be contacted directly at (855) MA-SOLVE (855-627-6583) or by email at mspunresolved@pol.state.ma.us

If you feel more comfortable submitting an anonymous tip, there are two different ways. The first way to submit an anonymous tip is via the text-a-tip program. To anonymously text a tip, text the word “Bristol” to the phone number CRIMES (274637). Then just text your tip. You can also submit a web-based anonymous tip by going to Submit a Web Tip. The Bristol County DA says that these tip programs are completely anonymous, and your personal information will never be seen by our investigators or anyone else.