Anchorage police investigating discovery of deceased infant

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Anchorage police have been left with more questions than answers surrounding the finding of a dead infant downtown Friday morning.

According to the Anchorage Police Department, a person spotted the infant Friday morning near Cordova Street and Third Avenue and screamed loud enough for another person to hear them and call APD’s dispatch center.

“We have no idea of the circumstances that led to the baby being where it was, led to the mother’s circumstances for what happened,” APD Capt. Amanda Fisher said. “We’re worried about [the mother’s] well-being. We’re worried about the situation itself. Was [the mother] in trouble at the time? What was going on? So that’s imperative for us to try and find that out.”

Fisher said the case remains a death investigation and not a homicide.

“We really need to come into some understanding about how the baby came to be where it was at the time that it did,” Fisher said.

The public is being asked to come forward with information that might help them locate the mother. They are also asking anyone with surveillance footage of the area or other information to contact dispatch at 3-1-1 or (907) 786-8900, Option 0.

“Any information, no matter how small it might be, could make all the difference in a case like this,” Fisher said.

Fisher said the the State Medical Examiner will determine the child’s time of death.

“[The SME] will do the autopsy,” Fisher said. “I’m not sure if that has been completed or not and I don’t know what their timeframe is for when they will be releasing information about this case.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

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