No cause of death determined five months after newborn's remains found near Halifax
More than five months after a newborn's remains were discovered in woods near Halifax, Nova Scotia, neither police nor Crown prosecutors have determined a cause of death for the infant or its mother. Sukhpreet Singh and Ramandeep Kaur face charges including disposing of a child's body, with the case now transferred to the Nova Scotia Supreme Court.
More than five months after the remains of a newborn baby were discovered in woods near Halifax, Nova Scotia, no cause of death has been determined for either the infant or its mother. As of Tuesday morning, both Crown prosecutors and police said the investigation remains ongoing.
Sukhpreet Singh, 24, and his wife Ramandeep Kaur, 27, are charged with disposing of a child's body with intent to conceal that it had been delivered, obstruction, and offering an indignity to a dead body. Singh is related to the mother of the deceased newborn.
The case began on May 22, when a 23-year-old woman who had recently given birth was admitted to hospital in critical condition without her baby, prompting a search. Two days later, the infant's remains were found off Old Coach Road in Goodwood, N.S. The baby's mother died in hospital on May 27. Police stated they never had the opportunity to speak with her due to her condition.
During a previous appearance in Halifax provincial court, the couple elected to be tried by judge alone in the Nova Scotia Supreme Court. On Tuesday, the case was transferred to the Supreme Court. Singh appeared via video conference from custody with a Punjabi interpreter, while Kaur did not appear but was represented by her lawyer Trevor McGuigan. Kaur was released on bail with conditions in September.
The case will return to court on December 10 to set a date for a pre-trial conference.