No charges in Massachusetts after 4 newborns found frozen, wrapped in tin foil inside Boston apartment: DA
FILE - Close-up of the blue and red lights on top of a police vehicle. Getty Images
In a shocking move, the Suffolk District Attorney in Massachusetts announced on Tuesday that there will be no criminal charges filed in connection to the investigation involving the disturbing discovery of four newborn babies found wrapped in tin foil inside a freezer in the home of a Boston woman who "concealed her pregnancies."
"This investigation, which is one of the most complex, unusual and perplexing that this office has ever encountered, is now complete. While we have some answers, there are many elements of this case that will likely never be answered," DA Kevin Hayden said in a press release.
On the afternoon of Nov. 17, 2022, Boston police responded to a home for a 911 call about a possible baby located inside a freezer. The call was later updated to involve multiple babies, according to officials. The caller explained that he and his wife made the grisly discovery while cleaning out his sister’s South Boston apartment.
Investigators determined that the apartment was owned and occupied by 69-year-old Alexis Aldamir.
DEAD BABY DISCOVERED AT UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA IN FLORIDA
In all, four babies were discovered that day. Investigators said all four were frozen solid in shoe boxes wrapped in foil. Two were male and two were female, and DNA tests determined that they were all siblings. They were also believed to be between 37 and 40 weeks.
The medical examiner reported that there was no scientific method to determine how long the babies had been frozen. The autopsy found no signs of internal or external trauma and no evidence of obvious injuries. The report also noted that there were no signs of food, or milk, or formula inside the babies’ stomachs.
The medical examiner also found the cause of death for all the babies to be "undetermined" and that it could not definitively determine whether the babies had been born alive.
Investigators were able to locate Aldamir in a residential healthcare facility, and eventually gained a court order to obtain a DNA sample. The results confirmed she was the mother of the four babies.
GEORGIA BEAUTY QUEEN ACCUSED OF MURDER IN DEATH OF BOYFRIEND'S TODDLER SON
Co-workers of Aldamir, who was employed by an accounting firm in Boston from March 1980 to October 2021, described her as a "heavy-set woman who had a penchant for wearing loose-fitting clothing regardless of the season." They also told investigators that they had no idea she was pregnant.
Additional DNA testing revealed that the father of all four babies had died in 2011 and that Aldamir had given birth to one baby girl in April 1982.
Investigators also found two parental rights surrender forms, one signed by Aldamir and the other signed by the individual determined to be the father of the four frozen babies.
Through their investigation, officials determined that Aldamir had five children with the same man and that they gave one of their children up for adoption. The other four were found dead in Aldamir’s apartment in November 2022.
Investigators stated that they ran into several challenges when working to determine if any crimes could be proved.
First, to charge any homicide, investigators said there must be evidence that the victims were alive. There must also be a cause of death determined by the medical examiner.
KIDNAPPED BABY HALO BRANTON FOUND AT NEW YORK ELECTRIC PLANT DIES AT HOSPITAL; NO ARRESTS ANNOUNCED
In this case, investigators cannot prove that the babies were ever alive, and they have no cause or manner of death.
Second, investigators said the autopsy found no signs of internal or external trauma to the babies and no evidence of obvious injuries.
Third, since the father is now deceased, investigators said he cannot not be charged with any crimes.
Lastly, investigators stated that Aldamir’s ability to stand trial was also in question.
When Aldamir was later questioned about the babies found in her apartment, she "appeared confused and demonstrated a lack of understanding about where she was and who she was speaking to," according to investigators.
"A prosecutor’s office cannot ethically move forward with a case that, in good faith, it believes it cannot bring to trial. Here, based on the evidence obtained throughout the investigation, including the many unanswered questions about the cause of death of the four babies, prosecutors have made the determination that they will not be able to bring this case to trial. Therefore, this investigation will not result in criminal charges," Hayden concluded.