Solving intriguing mystery a step closer
Source: Agencies |
September 4, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
INVESTIGATORS have identified the owner of a trunk in which the mummified remains of two babies were found, bringing them a step closer to solving the intriguing international mystery.
The owner of the steamer trunk, abandoned for decades in the basement of an apartment building, was Janet M. Barrie, a Scottish immigrant who was born in 1897 and worked as a nurse in Los Angeles before moving to Canada, where she died, officials said on Thursday.
Confirming her identity will help investigators as they try to solve the puzzle of the abandoned remains found wrapped in sheets and nestled in doctor bags amid scrunched up copies of 1930s newspapers.
The coroner's office has been unable to determine how the babies died, and it may never be known why they were placed in the trunk or who put them there. DNA tests are currently under way to see if the babies were related to each other.
Investigators with the coroner's office tracked down Barrie's nieces and nephews in Canada. The family members have agreed to submit DNA samples to see if they are related to the babies, said a law enforcement official who asked not to be named because the probe was ongoing.
The abandoned trunk was found on August 17 by two women clearing out an apartment building basement that was filled with items.
The trunk was like a time capsule from the 1930s, containing a pearl necklace, an iron with a thick electric cord, girdle, figurine, books, photos, documents and a cigar box painted with depictions of saints.
The owner of the steamer trunk, abandoned for decades in the basement of an apartment building, was Janet M. Barrie, a Scottish immigrant who was born in 1897 and worked as a nurse in Los Angeles before moving to Canada, where she died, officials said on Thursday.
Confirming her identity will help investigators as they try to solve the puzzle of the abandoned remains found wrapped in sheets and nestled in doctor bags amid scrunched up copies of 1930s newspapers.
The coroner's office has been unable to determine how the babies died, and it may never be known why they were placed in the trunk or who put them there. DNA tests are currently under way to see if the babies were related to each other.
Investigators with the coroner's office tracked down Barrie's nieces and nephews in Canada. The family members have agreed to submit DNA samples to see if they are related to the babies, said a law enforcement official who asked not to be named because the probe was ongoing.
The abandoned trunk was found on August 17 by two women clearing out an apartment building basement that was filled with items.
The trunk was like a time capsule from the 1930s, containing a pearl necklace, an iron with a thick electric cord, girdle, figurine, books, photos, documents and a cigar box painted with depictions of saints.
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