PERRY, IA — Police in Perry are investigating after officers say the remains of a premature infant were found in a trash can at a child care facility Tuesday evening. The discovery came hours after emergency crews were called to the same property for a report of a woman experiencing vaginal bleeding.
The Perry Police Department said the infant’s remains were found inside a trash bag at Acorns & Oaks Child Care, which sits on the grounds of the Perry Lutheran Home’s Eden Acres campus. The body was later sent to the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny for an autopsy.
Officials have not said exactly where inside the facility the infant was found or whether the earlier medical call is connected to the discovery.
Emergency crews first responded for woman with vaginal bleeding
Police said the first call came at 4:56 p.m., when emergency crews were dispatched to Acorns & Oaks Child Care for a report involving a woman who was bleeding vaginally. The woman was taken to a hospital about 30 minutes later.
That initial response set the stage for a second police visit later in the evening, but investigators have not publicly explained what prompted the later discovery or what officers believe happened between the two calls.
For now, authorities are only confirming the timeline. They have not identified the woman, described her condition after the hospital transfer, or said whether she was connected to the child care center in any role.
Second call led officers to the infant’s remains in a trash bag
Police said they were called back to the facility at 6:22 p.m. after a report of a premature infant in a trash container. When officers arrived, they found the remains inside a trash bag.
The child care center is on the Eden Acres campus owned by Perry Lutheran Home, but officials have not released additional details about the location of the trash can or whether it was inside a building, outside, or in another area of the property.
Authorities also have not said how the infant was placed there or whether anyone saw the bag before officers responded. Those questions remain part of the active investigation.
Medical examiner will determine cause and circumstances of death
The infant’s remains were taken to the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny, where an autopsy is expected to help determine the cause and manner of death. Police have described the child as premature, but they have not released an estimated gestational age or any further medical details.
That autopsy may also help investigators clarify whether the death happened before the remains were found at the facility. So far, officials have not announced any findings from the examination.
Because the case is still active, investigators have been cautious about sharing specifics. No charges have been announced, and no public arrests were mentioned in the police update.
Police say the infant was not in the child care center’s care
Officials said the infant was not under the care of Acorns & Oaks Child Care. That statement narrows the issue for investigators, but it does not answer how the infant came to be on the property or who was responsible.
Police have not said whether staff members, visitors, or other people on the campus had any role in the discovery. They also have not identified any relationship between the infant and the facility itself.
The statement does, however, make clear that the case is not being described as a child care incident involving a child enrolled or supervised by the center at the time of the discovery.
Investigation remains open as officers withhold key details
The Perry Police Department said the investigation remains ongoing. At this point, the public timeline includes only the two emergency calls, the hospital transport, and the later discovery of the remains.
Officials have not disclosed who found the infant, what prompted the second call, or whether detectives have identified anyone tied to the case. They have also not explained why they have not released more information about the location of the trash container at the facility.
For Perry residents and the broader central Iowa community, the case has left a number of urgent questions unanswered. Police say more information will depend on the continuing investigation and the results of the medical examiner’s autopsy.
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