Police Search For Leads In Discovery Of Baby's Body In SW OKC

Police are still trying to track down leads in the discovery of the body of a baby this weekend in southeast Oklahoma City.

They say the child was a baby girl. But they still don't know whether the baby could have been saved.

3/16/2013 Related Story: Neighbor Reacts To Discovery Of Dead Infant In SE OKC

Back in 2001, a law was passed to allow a person to give up a newborn baby anonymously to a fire department, hospital, or other safe place, without fear of arrest or prosecution.

It's called the Safe Haven Law, and the purpose is to protect babies from being hurt or killed because they were abandoned.

While we don't know the specific circumstances of this weekend's case, we do know it helped save twins in Shawnee nearly three years ago.

These are the precious faces of those newborn twins found in May of 2010. Their mother left them in the back of a pickup truck outside a Shawnee Fire Station, and then called 911.

Sadly that was not the case Saturday morning, when Oklahoma City police received a different 911 call from a woman who was house sitting, saying a dog had just brought a dead baby up to the doorstep.

"We still do not know race, cause of death, time of death or where the baby came from," said Captain Dexter Nelson with the Oklahoma City Police Department. "We don't know if the baby was stillborn, or what the cause of death was in this particular case. So that's why homicide is investigating it."

The terrible discovery was made in the 15000 block of S. Air Depot Blvd., in a neighborhood where the homes are spread out, and surrounded by fields.

3/16/2013 Related Story: Body Of Newborn Boy Discovered In SE OKC

Police officers and K9 units scoured the area near the home where the dog brought the body, but turned up nothing.

Although police are investigating, they don't really know if a crime took place.

Right now they just hope the mother or someone who knows what happened will contact police, so the case can be solved and the baby girl can finally be allowed to rest in peace.

That baby girl's body is being held at the Medical Examiner's office where they will determine a cause of death and possible age of the child.

The Safe Haven Law allows you to surrender a baby who is a week old or younger.

DHS also has a voluntary foster care program for any parent who is feeling overwhelmed, or does not have the means to take care of their child.

Just contact your local DHS office, and you will also not be prosecuted.