{"id":243453,"date":"2021-04-17T11:38:35","date_gmt":"2021-04-17T16:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=243453"},"modified":"2021-04-20T14:48:08","modified_gmt":"2021-04-20T19:48:08","slug":"community-murder-newborn-twins-abortion-legal-birth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/community-murder-newborn-twins-abortion-legal-birth\/","title":{"rendered":"Community horrified by murder of newborn twins in a state where abortion is legal up to birth"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Last November, an apartment superintendent in the Bronx, New York, discovered the bodies<\/a> of two babies who were violently killed. The bodies of the babies, believed to be identical twin boys, were discovered in the rear courtyard of an apartment building on College Avenue. In the five months since the shocking discovery, people in the community remain understandably upset by the horrific crime.<\/p>\n

The Daily News<\/a> reports that investigators are offering a reward of $10,000 for information leading to identifying the people connected to the babies, an increase from the $2,500 initially offered. Lt. William O\u2019Toole, commander of the New York Police Department\u2019s Bronx Homicide Squad explained the twins’ deaths, saying, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t appear to be from a fall. It appears to either be a hit or purposely blunt force trauma.\u201d According to investigators, the infants\u2019 bodies were found less than 12 hours after they were murdered. The baby boys were naked, and one of the babies had a shower loofah attached to him.<\/p>\n

According to a November 2020 New York Post report<\/a>:<\/p>\n

One of the newborns was found partially covered in a pet training pad \u2014 with apparent head trauma and his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck \u2014 in a janitorial work area on the side of the building.<\/em><\/p>\n

The other was discovered 20 feet away, bound in a black plastic bag with no visible injuries, in the back of the building, sources and the superintendent said.<\/em><\/p>\n

“It’s not supposed to happen”<\/strong><\/p>\n

The gruesome crime has hit a nerve in the community. Ramon Sanchez, 67, told<\/a> the Daily News, \u201cEverybody is upset about this.\u201d A resident of the building, he added, \u201cNobody wants to talk about it. Everyone is scared.\u201d What residents struggle to put into words is depicted in a small memorial to the murdered babies: two blue bears hang over the entrance doors representing the twin boys.<\/p>\n

Undoubtedly echoing the feeling of many area residents, Sanchez said, \u201cI feel bad. It\u2019s not supposed to happen, something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The building’s superintendent, Johnny, told the New York post in 2020, “It\u2019s unspeakable. I can\u2019t believe somebody would do that. The memory is going to stay with me for the rest of my life. A baby? I can understand you try to kill a person, but a baby? An innocent baby? No, no, no.\u201d<\/p>\n

As part of the investigation, police officers talked to every resident of the 42 apartments in the building and many in the vicinity, including a homeless shelter nearby. O\u2019Toole said, \u201cPeople gave us their fingerprints, gave us their DNA, so I think it\u2019s kind of shocking that anybody would have two full term babies thrown in the garbage in the neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Toole noted, \u201cSomeone who is physically pregnant with twins should really show. We spoke to the people in the shelter, and most of the residents in the shelter were in shock as much as everybody was.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0Three decades after abandoned newborn\u2019s death, community continues to remember her<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe investigation now is a scientific investigation, where we turn to fingerprints and DNA to be analyzed in the lab,\u201d Det. Brianna Constantino explained. \u201cWhile that takes time, we\u2019re looking for the help of the public.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone has to know something. So we\u2019re asking for the public\u2019s help,\u201d O\u2019Toole added.<\/p>\n

Speaking of the mother of the murdered twins, he said, \u201cOf course she\u2019s considered a person of interest. We\u2019d like to speak to her. What trauma or what situation was she in… she gave birth to these babies and someone threw them in the garbage.\u201d He continued, \u201cSo we\u2019d love to speak to the mother [and] help her, obviously, if she is in a desperate situation.\u201d<\/p>\n