UIPD investigates death of infant on campus
March 16, 2016
The University of Illinois Police Department is investigating the death of a newborn baby discovered on campus Sunday evening.
According to a press release from the department, UIPD officers were dispatched to Bousfield Hall, 1214 First St., around 5 p.m. Sunday to check on a student who had been sick in the bathroom for several hours. The student told officers she had the stomach flu and did not need help.
After receiving more information, officers returned to Bousfield Hall around 7:30 p.m. to investigate and found evidence suggesting a child may have been born in the bathroom. Pat Wade, UIPD spokesman, said the department could not reveal what prompted them to return to the hall.
Less than an hour later, officers located the student and took her to the University’s Public Safety Building where, in a conversation with police, the student revealed she had given birth earlier Sunday. The male infant was then found deceased in the backpack the student was carrying.
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The UIPD is working with the Champaign County State’s Attorney as well as the Champaign County Coroner to gather information, investigate the incident and determine how to proceed. The press release stated an autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday morning and a decision on criminal matters will be made when the autopsy results are available.
Though the investigation is still ongoing, a press release from the Champaign County Coroner’s Office stated that around 9 p.m. Sunday a nurse in the Carle Foundation Hospital emergency room confirmed the infant, Robert Richard Johnson, had died.
Preliminary autopsy results are pending further studies and a toxicology test.
The press release encouraged concerned students to talk with their resident director, area coordinator or other Residential Life staff member; concerned students can also visit the Counseling Center.
“I don’t think anyone could ever imagine anything, something like this happening on campus,” Wade said. “The police officers see a lot of bad stuff, and this is right up there with the worst of it.”
