Goodhue sheriff: 'Significant' findings on tests of 3 infants

(AP) DNA tests on three dead babies found in or near the Mississippi River in the past eight years have yielded "significant" results, the Goodhue County sheriff said.

Sheriff Dean Albers would not discuss the results Thursday, saying he expected to make a public statement next week.

"I think it will be significant," he said.

A newborn's body was found in March in the river near the Treasure Island Resort & Casino marina. Authorities said the girl had been in the water for up to six months. In 1999, a boater found the body of a newborn girl near a marina in Red Wing; and in 2003, the body of a newborn boy was found near Frontenac.

The identities of the babies, and causes of death, haven't been determined. Authorities have called the three deaths along a 15-mile stretch of the river unusual.

Goodhue County spent more than $4,000 to have the babies' remains tested, the Red Wing Republican Eagle reported. Albers said those results were returned last week. He said he needed to meet with officials from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension before releasing any specifics.

A funeral and burial service was held this week for the infant found in March.

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