Autopsy: Babies Found in Freezer in Germany Born "Viable"

Prosecutors in the nearby city of Siegen said pathologists had established that the infant had been "viable," not stillborn. The autopsy found no sign of external injury or malformation on the first baby checked. Tissue samples were taken for toxicological tests later. Autopsies on the other two bodies would proceed Wednesday.

The infant bodies were discovered wrapped in bloodstained towels and covered with newspapers, one dated December 1988. The two adult children of a 44-year-old woman made the grisly find while clearing out a family freezer while their parents were away for the weekend.

A "very guilty" mother

After being turned in to police, the mother was being held in a prison hospital wing. Though police said they would not begin questioning her until cleared to do so by doctors, the woman appeared to be in "severe shock" and felt "very guilty" according to investigator Martin Feldmann.

Investigators also noted that there were no signs the woman's 47-year old husband had known anything about the deaths.