RIVERWOODS, Ill. (WGN) — Police in Illinois announced the arrest of a 40-year-old woman in connection with an investigation into human remains found inside a suitcase more than five years ago.
According to police, Natalie Schram, formerly Natalie Borg, who now resides in Washington state, is accused of multiple Class 4 felony charges, including:
- Concealment of death (two counts)
- Abuse of corpse
- Failure to report the death or disappearance of a child under 13 years of age
It was on May 5, 2020 that Riverwoods Police began an investigation following a report of the possible discovery of human remains in a wooded area in the 1800 block of Robinwood Lane.
According to police, further examination of the remains found was that of a newborn infant. Police said that an extensive investigation led the department to Schram, who they believe gave birth to the infant and then concealed the newborn’s remains.
Reflecting on the case that veteran Riverwoods detective David Martinovich admits has been his most “difficult investigation,” he told WGN-TV that Lake County Water Department workers made the discovery when checking sewer lines for blockages.
“They discovered a package, a suitcase, on the residential property and saw a piece of clothing hanging out of it,” Martinovich said. “They opened up the suitcase and saw there were bones in there. They called their boss, and their boss called us.”
According to Martinovich, the department was unable to determine the infant’s gender, cause of death, or link DNA to any suspects at the time of the discovery.
“We did a lot of forensics, mainly with the assistance of the FBI Quantico lab,” Martinovich said. “They were able to develop a profile and from that, we did a lot more investigative work.”
The investigation led authorities to Schram, who officers arrested in Washington. Police said that she used to reside near where police located the remains.
Authorities in Washington state booked Schram at Whatcom County Jail. She was later released on Thursday, Dec. 4, on a $250,000 cash bond.
Schram also agreed to waive extradition proceedings. She is expected to turn herself in at the Lake County courthouse on Thursday, Dec. 11. A court hearing is set for 9 a.m.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with additional information should call police at (224) 284-2332.