Seven-month-old Eric Bighetty was brought unconscious to the Leaf Rapids health centre at about 11:15 p.m. Staff tried to revive him using cardiopulmonary resuscitation without success.
Police say the death is suspicious. An autopsy was conducted Monday in Winnipeg, but the cause of death is not being released.
"We still have a lot of questions unanswered," RCMP Sgt. Line Karpish said.
Family members say they were told Eric died naturally, perhaps as a result of sudden infant death syndrome. Reached in Leaf Rapid's Thursday, Eric's uncle said there was no abuse in the home and that Bighetty was a happy, healthy baby.
It's the second suspicious child death in as many months in Manitoba.
In October, Dillon Belanger, 4, of died after an assault in her home in Stuartburn.
RCMP arrested the child's mother, Mary Joana Belanger, 32. She faces charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault and failing to provide the necessities of life.
Dillon was formerly in the care of an aboriginal child welfare agency.
It's not clear if Bighetty or his family came into contact with child welfare officials before his death. If they did, that will likely trigger a series of reviews, including an investigation by the Children's Advocate and a review by the Northern Child Welfare Authority.
Leaf Rapids RCMP are continuing to investigate, with the help of the RCMP's forensic identification unit from Thompson and the RCMP's major crime unit.
maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/police-probe-another-suspicious-baby-death-110781739.html
Police say the death is suspicious. An autopsy was conducted Monday in Winnipeg, but the cause of death is not being released.
"We still have a lot of questions unanswered," RCMP Sgt. Line Karpish said.
Family members say they were told Eric died naturally, perhaps as a result of sudden infant death syndrome. Reached in Leaf Rapid's Thursday, Eric's uncle said there was no abuse in the home and that Bighetty was a happy, healthy baby.
It's the second suspicious child death in as many months in Manitoba.
In October, Dillon Belanger, 4, of died after an assault in her home in Stuartburn.
RCMP arrested the child's mother, Mary Joana Belanger, 32. She faces charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault and failing to provide the necessities of life.
Dillon was formerly in the care of an aboriginal child welfare agency.
It's not clear if Bighetty or his family came into contact with child welfare officials before his death. If they did, that will likely trigger a series of reviews, including an investigation by the Children's Advocate and a review by the Northern Child Welfare Authority.
Leaf Rapids RCMP are continuing to investigate, with the help of the RCMP's forensic identification unit from Thompson and the RCMP's major crime unit.
maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/police-probe-another-suspicious-baby-death-110781739.html
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