Jewish World Review

JWR's Pundits
World Editorial
Cartoon Showcase

Mallard Fillmore

Michael Barone
Mona Charen
Linda Chavez
Greg Crosby
Larry Elder
Don Feder
Suzanne Fields
James Glassman
Paul Greenberg
Bob Greene
Betsy Hart
Nat Hentoff
David Horowitz
Marianne Jennings
Michael Kelly
Mort Kondracke
Ch. Krauthammer
Lawrence Kudlow
Dr. Laura
John Leo
David Limbaugh
Michelle Malkin
Jackie Mason
Chris Matthews
Michael Medved
MUGGER
Kathleen Parker
Wes Pruden
Sam Schulman
Amity Shlaes
Roger Simon
Tony Snow
Thomas Sowell
Cal Thomas
Jonathan S. Tobin
Ben Wattenberg
George Will
Bruce Williams
Walter Williams
Mort Zuckerman

Consumer Reports


Three dead infants among inherited items in storage

http://www.jewishworldreview.com | (KRT) ST. PAUL, Minn. - Michael and Kathleen Manning made a ghastly discovery at their Coon Rapids, Minn., home after unpacking items that had belonged to a deceased relative - first one, then another and, finally, a third body of an infant.

Investigators believe there are no more bodies to be discovered, and are focusing on why and how the remains ended up in storage. The infants are estimated to have been dead for at least 10 years.

"There's just so much incomplete information available to us that we're just doing everything we can to avoid jumping to conclusions," said Capt. Robert Aldrich of the Anoka County Sheriff's Department. "We know that the trunk came from that deceased relative's property. We don't know if she was holding it for someone at this point."

The discovery of the three bodies began when the couple started unpacking storage items belonging to Kathleen Manning's mother, who died several years ago. The items had been stored at Michael Manning's trucking business, Manning Transfer in Blaine, Minn., for the last three or four years.

This week, the couple took the storage items from one of the semitrailers at Manning Transfer and moved them to their home on 127th Avenue Northwest.

Donate to JWR

As they unpacked about 5 p.m. Monday, they came upon a large, padlocked black steamer trunk - the kind used when people once traveled on steam ships.

They opened the container, which was about 4 feet long, 2 feet high and 2 feet deep.

Inside was an infant's body and also a locked old typewriter-style suitcase.

The Mannings called Coon Rapids police. Investigators arrived and, in addition to the body inside the large steamer trunk, they found another body in the small case.

Authorities discovered the third body between 7:30 and 8 a.m. Tuesday in another small padlocked case that was in storage. All the bodies were wrapped, but it was unclear what material was used, Aldrich said.

Aldrich said it wasn't clear whether there was foul play in the deaths of the infants.

Authorities didn't release the name of the woman who the storage items belonged to, but they said she had been a Minneapolis resident.

The Anoka County medical examiner's office is conducting autopsies. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension might also conduct DNA testing to try to identify possible relatives.

Aldrich said the infants could have been dead for more than 10 years.

"That's a conservative estimate. It's probably been there that long and maybe longer," he said.

Although neighbors of the Mannings had no insight on Kathleen Manning's mother, they say the family appeared to be nice, close-knit and private.

"They're a nice family. I'm sure they're in shock," said Ruthann Chapman, whose son Zachariah saw the couple in the driveway looking at a big black trunk on Monday evening.

Shortly afterward, police cars pulled into the driveway.

Mary Roberts lives next door to the Mannings. She bought the home from the Mannings' son and his wife three years ago.

She described them as a nice, but private, family.

"It's sad they're going through this. It's sad enough with one, but now there's three bodies," Roberts said. "With all of these sad unanswered questions and you can't go back and ask the person who may have the answers."

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.


Comment by clicking here.

Up

© 2003, Saint Paul Pioneer Press Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services