A Calgary security guard who discovered a newborn baby left abandoned in a dumpster last Christmas Eve said he’s still haunted by the case a year later.
Global News is identifying the man as “John” due to personal safety concerns. He said he lives in fear– not knowing who was involved in leaving the infant.
“I can’t understand how anyone could carry a baby for that long or have a baby and put it in a dumpster,” he said.
The 73-year-old said he replays the moment he made the discovery over and over in his head.
John was out walking his dog and decided to check the recycling depot bins for bottles; inside he found the baby girl.
“I thought it was a doll, so I lifted up the rag and it was a baby,” he said.
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John still gets choked up talking about it.
A few months after the body was found, police used DNA phenotyping to create images of the woman, using the specialized services of a company in Virginia.
Police said the photo is an “approximation” developed by using biological material found at the scene, along with scientific predictions of appearance and ancestry.
John said he keeps that photo with him, and is constantly on the lookout for a woman matching the description.
“(I) put the picture together with the mother,” he said. “Or I keep an eye when I go grocery shopping over here.”
Police said the case remains open, but so far there are no leads, and no suspects.
“Over the past year, we have received 60 tips and each one of them has been reviewed extensively,” Calgary police said in a written statement to Global News on Thursday. “None of them have led us to the answers we are looking for. This has taken a great emotional toll on all those involved, both here at CPS and in the community.
“From the first responders that came to the scene almost a year ago, as well as those that continue to work on this case today, and especially for the baby, we want to be able to provide closure.”
John said he wants justice for the baby.
“It was a life,” John said. “You just don’t take somebody’s life and walk away.”
Police said the mother’s DNA was run through the RCMP data bank, but no match was found.
Anyone with information on the identity of the woman or the events that led up to the incident is asked to contact the Homicide Tip Line at 403-428-8877, the Calgary Police Service at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
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