Embalmed internal organs but no skeletal remains in baby's coffin

NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - Philadelphia's medical examiner has confirmed the contents of the baby's casket found on a sidewalk did contain embalmed internal organs, but no skeletal remains were found.

People walking on the 3000 block of W. Clearfield Street just after 9 p.m. Monday found a small white infant or small child's coffin across from Mount Vernon Cemetery.

One witness told FOX 29 News nobody had any idea what could've been inside the box.

It turned out, the people had found a coffin, and the lid appeared to be pried open because the screws were freshly loosened.

Inside, there was a plastic bag with internal organ tissue.

Police called the Medical Examiner's Office.

Their preliminary investigation showed the organs appeared to be from an infant or very small child, but there was no body in the coffin and no sign of a previous body -- just the embalmed internal organs without skeletal remains -- so they don't know where the body is or how the coffin got to the sidewalk.

The casket was taken to the medical examiner's office for further investigation.

Authorities said it appeared to be a "fresh coffin" and possibly taken from a funeral home or dug up from a fresh grave.

Police sent a chopper with a search light to check Mount Vernon and a second cemetery, but could find no freshly dug-up graves.

Then, they sent in a cadaver dog but it didn't find anything either.

Now, they say they plan to see if funeral homes are missing a body or a casket.