A5

Adam Huras
Telegraph-Journal

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MONCTON - A 19-year-old Dalhousie woman has been charged with concealing the body of a newborn male infant more than three months after a gruesome discovery of human remains outside a home in the northern New Brunswick town.

Police confirmed Thursday Renée Chiasson is the mother of the newborn found dead.

Chiasson's lawyer has adjourned the matter until Jan. 26 where she will make an appearance to enter a plea.

Codiac RCMP did not release the cause of death.

Charges of infanticide have not been laid, but a police spokesperson said there is a possibility of more charges to come.

"The investigation is still ongoing with the reason being that it has not been dealt with in the courts," said Cpl. Mike Gaudet of the Codiac Regional RCMP. "Had we had enough evidence at this time to prosecute a murder charge, then so be it, but at this point in time the crown prosecutor with our investigators thought this was the charge that was warranted.

"Whether there will be more charges laid on Jan. 26 is up in the air."

Gaudet said police are not looking for any other suspects.

On Sept. 2, Dalhousie District 9 RCMP responded to a call from a resident who had discovered human remains hidden, but not buried, outside his home.

The Dalhousie resident found the remains because of the smell, according to police.

Bathurst Major Crimes Unit, Bathurst Forensic Identification Services and Grand Falls Forensic Identification Services assisted at the scene.

Police then arrested a woman in her 20s within 24 hours of the discovery, but she was released shortly after without charges.

Just over one week later, police said the infant may have died in Moncton and that the investigation had been handed over to the Codiac RCMP's Major Crime Unit.

"The relationship is that it is still believed the infant died here in Moncton," Gaudet said.

Whether the baby was alive when it was born and how long the remains were hidden remain to be revealed.

Investigators have conducted laboratory tests and an autopsy on the remains. Results are expected to come forward in court.