By: Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/10/2014 (2329 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Winnipeg police are investigating the gruesome discovery of four dead infants in a storage locker at a McPhillips Street business Monday.
An employee at a storage facility made the discovery Monday afternoon, a police spokesman said at a press conference this morning. Police were at the scene through Monday afternoon, evening and into the night.
It's now public that the storage facility is a U-Haul facility located at the corner of McPhillips Street and Elgin Avenue.
Police said the remains were in varying stages of decomposition.
Contacted today, an official with U-Haul said the company is cooperating with the authorities.
"U-Haul team members made a disturbing discovery when taking inventory of a delinquent storage locker on Monday. They immediately contacted law enforcement who believed the locker contained human remains," said Razmin Mansoub, marketing company president for U-Haul Company of Central Canada
JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
U-Haul storage lockers at Elgin Avenue and McPhillips Street.
"U-Haul is deeply shocked and saddened by this discovery."
Police are waiting for autopsies to determine their cause of death and to confirm how many babies’ bodies were found, said said Const. Eric Hofley of the suspicious death investigation.
"The remains were in a state such that it’s not obvious," said Hofley. "It's too early to say what has transpired... the investigation is less than 24 hours old."
"(The remains are from) very, very young infants, not children. Newborns."
"It's very disturbing and tragic" for the employees of the storage facility, police officers and other emergency personnel on the scene," Hofley added.
He said he expects police will be able to release more information Wednesday.
"I'm confident something will come out (Wednesday).
RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Constable Eric Hofley makes grim announcement to the media about the remains of multiple babies being found in a storage locker in Winnipeg Tuesday morning. Oct 21, 2014 Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press
"It's tragic beyond belief," said Hofley, who, in his 14 years as a police officer, has never seen such a case.
He couldn't say when the autopsies will be complete and wouldn't say who had rented the storage unit in which the bodies of the babies were found.
Hofley said there have been no reports of missing babies.
There are no suspects in custody, although Hofley said investigators have spoken with people of interest.
The investigation by the child abuse unit is still in the early stages, and no further details were provided.
Even if it wasn't a case of foul play, "You're not allowed to store human remains in a storage locker," Hofley said.
Barrington Francis, 23, who arrived at the U-Haul location on Tuesday afternoon to pay the monthly rental fee for his locker, said he was shocked upon hearing the news.
"That’s pretty bad," Francis told reporters. "I’m not saying it’s their (the company’s) fault, but how could someone sneak in four dead infants and they not know it? That’s bizarre. It’s shocking that it’s so close to home."
If you have any information on this case, please contact police at (204) 986-3296 or Crime Stoppers at (204) 786-TIPS (8477).
Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter
After 20 years of reporting on the growing diversity of people calling Manitoba home, Carol moved to the legislature bureau in early 2020.