Landfill search continues for baby's body

MAYFIELD, Sanpete County — The search for the body of a stillborn baby believed to be buried in a central Utah landfill is intensifying, with authorities focusing on a trash heap the size of a football field and about 24-feet deep.

"Realistically, you're looking for a such a small, small body, and it's literally like looking for a needle in a haystack right now," Sanpete County Sheriff's Sgt. Greg Peterson said Tuesday.

On April 24, sheriff's deputies responded to a report from someone concerned about the teen's pregnancy.

"Somebody just called it in. Somebody knew she was pregnant, and then she wasn't, so they were concerned," Peterson said. "We had an officer go look into it."

According to what investigators have been told, the girl gave birth, discovered the baby was stillborn and then placed the child in a Dumpster.

"As far as we know, it is out to the landfill," Peterson said.

The search is taking place at the White Hills landfill near Mayfield. Peterson said they have considered bringing in cadaver dogs to assist in the search and have spoken to authorities involved in the 2004 search of the Salt Lake Valley landfill for Lori Hacking's body. Police said Hacking was killed by her husband, Mark, who dumped her body in the garbage.

The search for Hacking's remains lasted months, but the Sanpete County Sheriff's Office could not say how long deputies were prepared to search the Mayfield landfill.

"We've got to go into it with the best approach possible," Peterson said. "We're going to make an honest effort to try to locate the body."

Officials also have concerns about hazardous substances that searchers could potentially be exposed to.

"We're trying to do as much as we can as fast as we can, but still take care of our guys, too," the sergeant said. "What we're looking at is something that's already buried. We're trying to figure out how to do that" safely.

Neither the name of the teenage mother nor her place of residence has been released. The girl is not facing criminal charges at this time, but charges aren't off the table, Sanpete County deputy attorney Brody Keisel said Tuesday.

"It depends on if we find, and what we find," he said.