Police seek public’s help in north Columbia infant death investigation

Columbia police are asking for the public’s help in the investigation of a baby’s death.

Columbia Police Department Assistant Chief Jeremiah Hunter said officers found a baby less than 1 year old after responding Thursday to a call of human remains in the 1900 block of North Providence Road, outside McKnight Tire.

Hunter said a cause of death has not been determined and police are asking for public help to identify the child. The child was found in a line of trees, Hunter said, and he did not divulge the child’s gender or how long the body had been there.

“As a parent myself this is very difficult,” Hunter said. “It’s a difficult situation for everyone involved,” including the investigators.

LIVE PLAYBACK: Video of the news conference with Hunter is available in the player below.

Columbia Police Department and Boone County Sheriff’s Department cruisers spent much of the afternoon at McKnight Tire along with a CPD crime scene investigation van. CPD spokesman Jeff Pitts said police were called to the business at 11:40 a.m.

An ABC 17 News crew saw a man running from the business and being pursued by officers at about 5 p.m. However, Pitts said the man was wanted on an unrelated warrant.

LIVE PLAYBACK: Video from the scene is available in the player below.

Police did not release any other details.

Check back for more on this developing story.

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