An investigation into the deaths of a woman and her newborn baby will be “challenging” given investigators weren’t able to speak to the woman, Halifax police say.
Police announced Thursday a 23-year-old woman who arrived in hospital last Friday in critical condition after giving birth has died.
The woman was taken to hospital by EHS after a 911 call to an apartment building in the Clayton Park neighbourhood. However, the baby was nowhere to be found.
The remains of the baby were discovered in a wooded area two days later.
Police said Thursday the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service will determine the mother’s cause and manner of death.
The infant’s death also remains under investigation.
“Both of those investigations will take an extended period of time. So again, their investigation will be ongoing,” spokesperson Const. Martin Cromwell said.
Cromwell said police investigators didn’t get a chance to interview the mother, who was described as “unresponsive” earlier this week by a Crown prosecutor.
“That definitely makes it more complex. It’s an already complex investigation and from an investigative perspective, (not being able to interview the mother) would definitely make it even that more challenging and complex,” said Cromwell.
Two charged still in custody
Meanwhile, two people charged in connection to the discovery of the newborn’s remains will remain in custody after a bail hearing did not go ahead Thursday.
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Sukhpreet Singh, 23, and his wife Ramandeep Kaur, 26, are each charged with concealing the body of a child, indignity to human remains and two counts of obstruction.
Kaur’s lawyer appeared on her behalf in court on Thursday, while Singh appeared via video with a Punjabi interpreter.
Police have previously said Singh is a relative of the baby’s mother.
The pair did not seek bail and will return to court on June 22.
Halifax Regional Police have said they believe the newborn’s mother experienced a medical emergency and investigators did not think her condition was the result of violence.
Police have not detailed what the couple is alleged to have done to conceal the body of the child.
The Crown said Thursday more charges are possible, and that they’ve received preliminary results of the autopsy.
During their first court appearance Monday, where Singh and Kaur also appeared by video from jail, the Crown indicated there was “potential for additional very serious charges under these circumstances.”
Crown prosecutor Paul Carver noted on Monday that “the mother of the deceased newborn is currently in critical condition and unresponsive in the hospital.”
The charges against Singh and Kaur stem from an urgent search and investigation over the weekend.
Police said they were first alerted on Friday evening after a 911 call was placed. EHS arrived at an apartment on Willett Street, in Halifax’s Clayton Park neighbourhood, and transported a woman to hospital in life-threatening condition.
Police said at the time the woman “appeared to have just given birth” but the baby was nowhere to be found.
An extensive search was launched by police and Nova Scotia Ground Search and Rescue, who combed the area around the apartment building.
Four people were taken into custody and questioned. Police spokesperson Const. Martin Cromwell said that during the interview process, a second location was revealed.
Police said remains were discovered at around 3:20 p.m. Sunday in a wooded area off Old Coach Road, which is about 10 kilometres from the initial search site.
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