Infant’s Body Found In Hospital Linens In Minnesota

A baby’s body was found in hospital linens in Minnesota, leading to an apology from a hospital for a tragic mix-up at the morgue.

Police said the body was found in hospital linens that had been delivered to a laundry company. An employee at Crothall Laundry was washing linens for a Twin Cities hospital when a body tumbled out of the sheets.

The employee called the hospital that send the linens and someone from the hospital came over for the body.

The dirty laundry had been delivered to the company within 48 hours of the body being found, police said. A police representative noted that they are investigating the incident.

Police initially said they didn’t know the exact age, gender, or identity of the body found in the hospital linens. They also declined to name the hospital that send the dirty linens. But, later on Wednesday, a Minnesota hospital admitted mishandling the remains of a stillborn child.

Regions Hospital in St. Paul said it was a “terrible mistake” that allowed the infant’s body to be mixed in with linens and delivered to a laundry company. They said the accident took place in the morgue where the body was mistakenly wrapped in linens.

Chris Boese, chief nursing officer at Regions Hospital, said hospital officials are investigating the incident to learn why it happened.

“This was a terrible mistake, and we are deeply sorry,” Boese said in a statement. “We have processes in place that should have prevented this but did not. We are working to identify the gap in our system, and to make sure this does not happen again.”

The baby had been delivered stillborn on April 4 at 22 weeks development.

Police said they don’t know yet if the body found in hospital linens will lead to any charges or disciplinary action against Regions Hospital.