Lancaster County officials have reported that a fetus found buried in a backyard was below the threshold for Pennsylvania's abortion ban. According to the Lancaster County Coroner's Office, the fetus was approximately 20 weeks old, while abortions in Pennsylvania are prohibited after 23 weeks.
The fetus, discovered in a yard along Village Square Drive in East Donegal Township, was found in a box after a report was made to police on March 6. Lancaster County Coroner Stephen Diamantoni stated that the fetus was male and severely decomposed, indicating it was too young to survive outside the womb. "We didn’t make any determination of whether the baby was aborted; that part of the investigation’s up to law enforcement," Diamantoni said, as reported by People.
Court documents reveal that a woman sought an abortion but was reportedly turned away because her pregnancy was deemed too far along. A witness informed police that the woman purchased medication online to induce an abortion. The fetus was allegedly kept in a box under her bed for several weeks before being buried.
Currently, no charges have been filed, and the Susquehanna Regional Police are conducting an ongoing investigation into the incident.