Fetus found in storm drain in Idaho town

A fetus was found in a storm drain in Smelterville on Saturday, the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office said on its Facebook page.

A medical examination determined the fetus looked to be 16 weeks gestation, or approximately four months. The sheriff’s office is trying to determine how the fetus entered the storm line, but said that it likely happened within town.

Smelterville is located in North Idaho, about 35 miles east of Coeur d’Alene.

Sheriff’s office Capt. Seth Green said the fetus was found by a local city worker who cleans the sewers. The storm drain gets cleaned out every 24 hours, Green said in an interview.

The investigation is not a criminal one. Green said there could be a number of possibilities as to what happened.

“We just need the public’s help. We need to do the best we can to find the mother for a plethora of reasons,” he said.

The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information to contact them at 208-556-1114.