Newborn's body found by a dog in woods 12/30/08 Milton, FL

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Authorities: Dog finds infant's body in woods
Posted By: Jim Peppard     7 days ago
MILTON, Fla. (AP) -- Authorities say a newborn baby's body was found by a dog in a wooded area in north Florida.

The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office says the dog was walking in a wooded area near it's owner's home when it discovered the body Monday.

Authorities say they are looking for anyone who can help identify the baby's mother.

Authorities wouldn't immediately give any information on how long the body appeared to have been in the woods.
http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=96928&catid=8

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Dog finds newborn,
autopsy complete
Last Edited: Thursday, 01 Jan 2009, 2:12 PM CST
Created On: Tuesday, 30 Dec 2008, 9:53 AM CST

SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. - A homeowner called 911 Monday afternoon, when the family's dog (a three-legged dog named Coco) came out of the woods, carrying the body of the newborn. It happened on Clear Creek Road near Milton. A large section of the wooded area is blocked off, and investigators have also expanded the search to adjacent areas. The family spoke to FOX10 News on Tuesday.

Sheriff's deputies say they arrived at the house around 4:00 p.m. Monday and confirmed it was a baby's body that was found. Investigators are not releasing the baby's gender but did say the infant was not born in a hospital. The medical examiner's office has the body and is conducted an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Department Spokesperson Scott Haines said, "One of the main things they're going to be looking for is if the child was in fact alive or deceased when it was left at this location. We'll be able to tell that through an autopsy as well as any other injuries or anything like that."

Investigators combed the woods, surrounding the home where the baby's body was found.

"Right now it appears somebody abandoned a very newborn baby in the woods," said Scott Haines.

Investigators don't know who left the baby, or why, but they don't believe the baby was born in a hospital. Investigators are hoping to find evidence to piece it all together.

"Right now the mother of this child knows what's going on. We know she's scared and we want to talk to her. No child whether it was already dead or alive, no child deserves to be left in the woods," added Haines.

It was the dog's owner who noticed the infant. The dog came out of the woods with the baby in its mouth. The owner immediately called 911.

"I live out at Clear Creek Road, and my dog just dragged an infant's body into the woods," the homeowner told the 911 Operator. The operator asked, "How old does it look?" "Looks like it was a newborn to me," he answered.

"It's extremely disturbing, tragic for everyone, especially the homeowner, something law enforcement has to see, no homeowner should have to witness that, unfortunately that will be with them for a long time to come," said Haines.

It's something that will also stay with neighbors. Duane Broxson lives across the street from the tragic scene. He said he never imagined a baby was back in those woods, "I don't see how anybody can do that; horrible, really bad."

Officials say the autopsy is complete, but the results are not being released right now, because the medical examiner still needs to make a few determinations.

The family whose dog found the body says, it appeared the baby was missing an arm. That has not been confirmed by the Sheriff's Office.

Still there are no details on gender, etc. Deputies have recovered some items from the area for their investigation, but they aren't releasing what those items are.

If you have any information about who the mother is, call the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office. Haines said the department has received several tips but are still looking for more. Authorities want anyone who has information that could help to identify the newborn should call the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office at 850-983-1100.

http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/DogFindsNewbornBabysBodyInWoods

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Three Legged Dog Fetches Infant’s Body 

Last Updated: Tue, December 30, 2008 - 11:06 pm

Their dog found an infant's body and brought it to their porch. Now the Milton, Florida couple is sharing details of the gruesome discovery.
Tonya and Henry McGill say they let their dog Coco roam their front yard Monday.

Tonya says the Pitbull-Labrador mix then ran into the bushes near Clear Creek Road, then returned with an infant's body in her mouth.
Today, Santa Rosa County Investigators combed the wooded area where the body was found.

According to the McGills the infant was naked and missing an arm.
"I just stood there and I kept saying it's a baby I just couldn't believe it because I didn't know what it was when she first dropped it on the ground,"Said Tonya McGill.
"Early in our marriage we lost a child due to a miscarriage so I mean it's upsetting that someone seemed to have a healthy baby and would do something like that,"Said Henry McGill.

An autopsy has been conducted but the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office is not releasing details at this time.
http://www.wkrg.com/crime/article/three_legged_dog_fetches_infants_body/22224/
Video at the link

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"Baby Milton" Laid to Rest

(MILTON, Fla.)  Jan. 20 - Burial services were held Tuesday for an infant found dead in Milton, Florida, last month.  Police say the baby's body was dragged out of the woods by a dog.  Investigators are still searching for the infant's mother and answers about his death.

The community has named the child "Baby Milton." He was found all alone in the woods of Santa Rosa County last month, but on Tuesday, he was surrounded by loving families who came to show he's not alone, now. 

Kim Bobe attended the funeral to say goodbye to the infant.  "I just have a heart for those that don't always have what we do," Bobe said.

The McGill family also attended the funeral.  It was their dog that pulled the tiny body from the woods next to their home in December.   

"It's been nice to see what the community did today for the baby, since there was no family," Henry McGill said.

Baby Milton was laid to rest in Memory Park Cemetery.
http://www.nbc15online.com/news/local/story/Baby-Milton-Laid-to-Rest/Y6UDzCKyYkqSgyBhTHze0g.cspx

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What a horrible thing to happen! I know this has been said so many times before, but assuming that this child was born alive, there are so many couples out there that would have loved to have this baby! It is such a selfish act that this mother did..only thinking of herself...I hope that she has hell for the rest of her life for what she did to this little child..Even if he was born dead, he deserved to be buried properly and not thrown out in the woods...how cold blooded does it get? my heart breaks...Not to mention how horrible it is for the couple whose dog found this baby!

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Mother of 'Baby Milton' identified
Rebekah Allen • rallen@pnj.com • October 2, 2009

The mother of “Baby Milton,” a newborn found dead 10 months ago, has been identified as 19-year-old Erica McGill, according to the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office.

The infant’s body was discovered near the home of Henry McGill, Erica McGill’s father, in December 2008 when their dog carried the body from the woods onto the property located in the 6500 block of Clear Creek Road in Milton.

An autopsy later revealed the child was stillborn.

Henry McGill and his wife Tonya McGill did not appear to realize at the time that the baby was their daughter’s.

“I hope they find out who did this,” Tonya McGill said in a Dec. 31 press conference.

During the investigation, a DNA sample was taken from Erica McGill who had returned home from college in Jacksonville only shortly before the baby was discovered, according to Sgt. Scott Haines.

The DNA sample confirmed Erica McGill was the mother, Haines said.

After reinterviewing her, investigators learned she found out she was pregnant in May or June 2008 and had chosen a name for the baby: Jeremiah Maurice Johnson. She had not told her family about the pregnancy.

Erica McGill said she returned home from college on Dec. 13, 2008, believing she had more time until the child was due. She said on a Sunday morning at around 2 a.m., she returned home and began experiencing pain.

She said she gave birth to a baby that was not breathing, which is consistent with the findings of the medical examiner. The State Attorney’s Office has decided that Erica McGill will not be prosecuted, due to the nature of the situation and the “hardship that has already been endured by Erica McGill and her family.”

She could have been charged with a first-degree misdemeanor for improper disposal of a human body.

http://www.pnj.com/article/20091002/NEWS01/91002026