Newborn baby found dead in toilet at Electric Forest festival as police share investigation update
An investigation is underway after a newborn baby was found dead in a portable bathroom at the Electric Forest music festival in Rothbury, Michigan, over the weekend.
The four-day camping and music festival kicked off on Thursday (25 June) and has attracted tens of thousands of attendees.
However, the weekend took a dark turn when police revealed that the body of a baby was found on Sunday morning (21 June), the final day of the festival.
Michigan State Police are actively investigating the death and have issued a statement, but opted not to release specific details due to the sensitivity of the case.
As reported by Metro, the authorities said in a statement: “The Michigan State Police continue to investigate the discovery of a deceased neonate found Sunday morning in the camping area at the Electric Forest Festival. Investigators are asking for the public’s assistance.
“If you were in the area and observed anything unusual, or if you have information that you believe may be relevant, we encourage you to come forward.”
The force added: “We appreciate the public’s cooperation and ask that people avoid speculation on social media out of respect for the investigation and those affected.”
Meanwhile, Electric Forest wrote in a statement on Instagram: “Forest Family, it causes us so much pain to have to share this difficult news with you. @michstatepolice continues to investigate this tragic event if you can assist in any way. HQ is heartbroken and knows that our Forest Family is as well.”
CBS News were told by an official that the ‘body was discovered by an employee of the restroom vending company during routine maintenance’.
No further details have been released at this time, but it’s been confirmed that there’s no threat to the public, and the exact age of the newborn is also not yet known.
Any festivalgoers with information about what happened are being urged to contact Michigan State Police here.
The Guardian reports that the festival was shut down on Sunday night, hours earlier than expected, with organisers attributing this to severe weather, before resuming early on Monday.
Electric Forest, which takes place at Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, is known for its electronic, psychedelic, and dance music and immersive art installations.
This year, the popular festival, previously known as the Rothbury Music Festival, was headlined by Illenium, Excision, Kaskade, and Chris Lake.
Tyla has contacted Michigan State Police for comment.
Madison Burgess