Remains of babies dead for possibly 70 years found in L.A. basement [Updated]

The bodies of two babies wrapped in Los Angeles Times newspapers from the 1930s were found in an apartment building basement near downtown L.A.

Workers found the bodies Tuesday evening when cleaning out the basement. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the remains were found with personal letters and tickets to the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The LAPD and the Los Angeles coroner's office are investigating. A coroner's official told The Times that the newspaper-wrapped bodies of the children had a mummified appearance.

[Updated at 6:50 a.m.: The grim discovery was made in one of L.A.'s oldest districts, a densely populated area of apartments west of downtown Los Angeles near MacArthur Park. Officials said they have launched an investigation, but it's unclear whether anyone who lived in the apartment during the 1930s is still in the area.

Law enforcement sources told The Times that the case is being classified for now as a "death investigation" and not a homicide. Officials will attempt to determine how the babies died -- likely with the help of forensic anthropologists. They will also look for any reports of missing babies during this period and attempt to find anyone who lived in the apartment at the time.]

LAPD Lt. Cory Palka told KTLA News the remains were found inside a steamer trunk in an apartment in the 800 block of Lake Street in the Westlake District.

The coroner's office is examining the remains to see if it can determine a cause of death. Authorities believe the babies have been deceased for seven decades but will perform tests.

-- Andrew Blankstein

Comments

[Sabrina]

So sad. Just goes to show that some people had little respect for life...even in the so-called "good old days." Nothing new under the sun apparently.

[R Chapman]

May God's mercy be on those poor, innocent children.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps they were illegitimate twin births in an era before abortion. The wrapping in newsprint seems to indicate an intentional effort to hide, not bury, the bodies. RIP

[Miss Displaced]

This is fascinating. I wonder what happened? Probably stillborn and not murder. Obviously someone was trying to hide the fact that they were pregnant.

[Zuriel Raasch]

That´s a classic " COLD CASE" TV serial.

[Montana Gold-]

Sad, parents are probably long gone. MacArthur park 60 years ago was a predominant white neighborhood. Then the cut across the lake to build a street. Hope this case is cracked...

[Chris Chiesa]

I'm astounded that a trunk could sit undisturbed in a basement since the 1930s, in the first place. Wow.

[dana]

Bob Skinner: the answer is no, it's not worth it. But who's to say that this is not important enough to research a little bit?

[Again]

So you hide a couple of Fetuses in a trunk in your basement, then for 70 years you forget them and never go back to hide them better than that.

[james]

I wonder what the personal letter said & why was there tickets to the olympics???

[Gary]

To Mr. Skinner:

The people doing the investigating, i.e., Coroner's office, police etc., draw a salary. Your comment makes it seem as if this is somehow an extra expense that L.A. can not afford.

If it was murder, there is no statute of limitations; if the babies were still-born then there is no crime. Either way, it's an investigation that has to happen.

[Keith Tobin]

As sad and possibly horrible as such deaths may be its a waste of time and effort to hunt for 70 years old guesses. To much money that could be spent on solvable current crimes will be used for this goose chase. Harsh? You betcha, the world has NEVER been a place where public money could be wasted on 70 years old cold cases.

[yami]

Very Sad, but interesting. Definetly a "Cold Case" t.v episode.

[Angelo D'Elia]

What we know so far does not necessarily mean that someone was hiding the bodies because of a crime. The facts as presented do not categorically point to an abortion either. If either of the above were true, it is very likely that the bodies would have been disposed of elsewhere . . . two weeks or a month later. It may be that the babies died from desease and the parents simply could not bear to part with them and so preserved, not hid, the bodies. Maybe they couldn't afford a double funeral.

[Jerry]

If this happened in 1932 its possable that no foul play was involved and the parent may have had still born children and had no money to bury them. This was during the hight of the depression.

[Bryan]

Hey Chief... Focus on gang bangers & violent offenders THAT ARE STILL ALIVE. Don't waste valuable resources chasing bad guys who walked the earth 80 years ago. AGAIN... FOCUS ON GANGS AND VIOLENT OFFENDERS.

[Jazz1152]

It's a shame that they were discarded like trash but in the 1930's morals and ethics were different. Could have been a miscarriage or a self induced abortion. That is what desparate women did during that era.

As much as I sympathize I don't think that Los Angeles has the money to spend on trying to identify the remains. It happened 80 years ago. All those involved are either dead or well into their 90's.

Give them a proper burial and let them be.

[deb]

i find this story to be fascinating. I don't think a full-on investigation is a good use of resources for such a case, however. It was 70 years ago. The bearer of the children is most likely not even alive. Leave it in history.

[Spooney]

@Sabrina,

Good old days? It was The Depression then, it was definately not a good time period.

[ThatGirl]

Am I the only one who finds the last sentence somewhat amusing? "Authorities believe the babies have been deceased for seven decades but will perform tests." Like they might still be alive??

[pat]

my daughter recently died from cancer & we did everything we could to keep her alive than i read stories like this & it makes me so angry that people could just toss their babies away like they were garbage

[am]

WoW, to think that this trunk was not disturbed for 70 yrs! Did this property never get sold during this time? Is it with the original family still, just descendants?

[Jeannie]

Where does it say the babies were found in a trunk?? ~jeannie

(I'm astounded that a trunk could sit undisturbed in a basement since the 1930s, in the first place. Wow.
Posted by: Chris Chiesa | August 18, 2010 at 08:54 AM)

[alice]

interesting.

[CHUCK]

Wow. So sad, but the question of "why?" may never be answered.