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Lunchbox Baby's 68-Year Wait for Burial Ends
26 Jul
Summary
- An 88-year-old man's details led to the burial of a 68-year-old 'Lunchbox Baby'.
- The infant's mummified remains were used in educational lectures for decades.
- A 1958 purchase revealed the infant's remains hidden in a closet.
The remains of a stillborn infant, infamously known as the "Lunchbox Baby," have finally been laid to rest after a 68-year wait. Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees expressed his gratitude for the assistance that provided closure for the unnamed child.
An 88-year-old resident, James Koban, provided critical information last summer that allowed Coroner Lees to obtain the Pennsylvania Department of Health's approval for the burial. Koban discovered the mummified infant's remains in an upstairs closet of a building he purchased in 1958 in Ehrenfeld.
The infant's remains were wrapped in a paper bag and placed in a tin lunch bucket by Koban, who then contacted state police. The case remained undetermined, and the remains were used for educational lectures and training sessions for decades by successive coroners.
Lees, who had considered burying the fetus for years, appealed to the public for information last summer. Koban's call that same day provided the necessary details to confirm historical records and proceed with the burial authorization.
The "Lunchbox Baby" was recently given a blessing and laid to rest in Laurel United Cemetery. The original lunchbox will remain with the coroner's office as a reminder to never give up on unsolved cases.
