No charges filed after miscarried infant remains found in Leland

The investigation in the case of infant remains found buried in the backyard of a Leland home is over. The report came back Thursday from the Brunswick County Medical Examiner’s Office, and it turns out the remains were the result of a miscarriage. Because there's no apparent crime here, investigators aren't releasing the names of the former suspects. No arrests were made. North Carolina state law says anything under the age of 24-weeks-old isn't considered a life. "It’s a horrible part of nature that we don't like, but we have to work through it,” said Dr. Greg Woodfill of Carolina Obstetrics and Gynecology. The case surrounding infant remains found buried behind a Leland home is now officially closed. According to the Brunswick County Medical Examiner's Office, the fetus was only thirteen or fourteen weeks old and had been miscarried. In our state, that means the fetus has not developed enough to be considered a "life." Initially, the possible charges were concealment of the birth of a child and concealment of death. However, since the state doesn't consider it a child yet, the charges were dropped. "The charges of not reporting the birth, or disposing of the body, would not necessarily apply,” said Brunswick DA Rex Gore. But there have been cases in our area where parents have abandoned a child in an unsafe environment. North Carolina has what's known as the safe-haven law. It states that any woman with a baby under seven days old and realizes she cannot care for it, the baby can be brought to a "safe" location like a police or fire station with no questions asked. The North Carolina Bar Association says this law enables adoptive parents who can provide and take care of a child, the opportunity to do so. According to doctors, miscarriages can’t be prevented, but say it is important to receive proper care leading up to and during a pregnancy. Despite the current woes of the health care system, there are still options like governmental and state funding, for expecting moms who may not have access to proper insurance.