Authorities Expected To Shed More Light On Discovery Of 2,200 Fetal Remains In Former Abortion Doctor's Garage
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A week after more than 2,200 fetal remains were found in a late abortion doctor's garage, investigators plan to shed more light on the disturbing discovery.
Authorities with the Will County Sheriff's Office, the Will County State's Attorney's Office and Will County Coroner's office were scheduled to discuss the investigation Thursday afternoon.
Dr. Ulrich Klopfer, who once ran three abortion clinics in Indiana, died earlier this month.
An attorney for the Klopfer family contacted the coroner last Thursday, after they found what appears to be fetal remains while going through his property in south suburban Crete Township.
Investigators said 2,246 medically preserved fetal remains were stored in Klopfer's garage. Klopfer kept the remains bagged, boxed, and stacked inside his garage at his home in Crete Township.
Authorities said there is no evidence medical procedures were ever performed on Klopfer's property. Officials have not said what the remains were doing there, if it involved anything criminal, or how long they had been there.
At one time, Klopfer had three abortion clinics in Indiana – in Gary, Fort Wayne and South Bend.
His license was suspended in 2015 after accusations that he failed to report an abortion performed on a 13-year-old girl.
Property records show he also owned a garage 15 yards behind the clinic. CBS 2 has learned investigators might pay special attention to that storage garage, which he owned for almost 20 years.
Sources said police want to examine the building located directly behind a now shuttered clinic to see what might be inside.
The Will County Sheriff's office confirmed Klopfer owned several properties, mostly in Indiana. Will County authorities have met with officials in Indiana several times since discovering the fetal remains, and an investigation is now underway in Indiana.
CBS affiliate WSBT reports St. Joseph County authorities searched Klopfer's old clinic in South Bend and a vacant lot he owned in the city on Thursday but found no fetal remains, just mostly old medical records.
An attorney for Klopfer's family has distanced them from the doctor, saying, "They are victims here, too."
Kevin Bolger, a criminal defense attorney representing Klopfer's wife, said the family never knew about the remains until last week. He said they don't know why the remains were being kept on the property or where they were stored.
"I've been doing this for over 40 years, and before that I was a Chicago policeman. I thought I saw it all, and obviously I didn't," Bolger said.
Bolger said Klopfer's family is cooperating with the investigation.
