One day after going missing, a baby was found dead and a mother was hospitalized, Indiana authorities said.
Rachel McAfee and her 3-month-old daughter, Emma, were reported missing on the evening of March 4 by McAfee’s husband.
He told officers that his wife left the house in Indianapolis with their daughter around 7 a.m. and that she planned to drop the baby off at a babysitter’s house and go into work but that didn’t happen and no one had seen her.
Officers launched a search but it ended when the mother and daughter were found in a vehicle that a neighbor spotted.
#BREAKING: IMPD says 3 month old baby missing since Monday morning has died.
The child Emma and her mother Rachel McAfee went missing Monday morning. pic.twitter.com/uvFa2w8vDX— Jesse Wells (@JesseWellsNews) March 5, 2019
Police have been looking for a silver Subaru Forester. You can see a car matching that description behind the tape. Rachel’s mom says she was on her way to drop Emma off at her mother-in-law’s home and never showed up. pic.twitter.com/2ChPSBru6j
— Matthew McClellan (@mcclellantv) March 5, 2019
#NOW: Police are leaving the scene and the car is being removed from the neighborhood. @FOX59 @CBS4Indy pic.twitter.com/nwrqUc8LWq
— Melissa Crash (@MelissaCrash) March 5, 2019
The neighbor alerted the police around 3 p.m. on Tuesday. At the time, the wind chill was below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
Emma was pronounced dead at the scene while McAfee was rushed to the hospital with “cold-related injuries,” officials told Fox 59.
“She’s receiving medical treatment and then—at some point if appropriate our investigators will be able to talk to her,” said Deputy Chief Chris Bailey.
While the coroner’s office will perform an autopsy on Emma to determine her cause of death, the case has been turned over to homicide detectives.
Husband of Missing Woman shared these photos today after she disappeared Monday w/their new born. Friends of Rachel McAfee seek help on social media locating her & the baby. They left their Creekside Meadows home & hasn’t been seen since. @IMPDnews @WTHRcom @scoopjefferson pic.twitter.com/0EocbaW6qY
— Steve Jefferson (@scoopjefferson) March 5, 2019
If you or someone you care about is suffering during pregnancy or postpartum, call or text us. You don’t need a diagnosis to reach out – you need a listening ear and connection. We are here every day. Call our HelpLine 800-944-4773. #MMH #PPD
— Postpartum Support International (PSI) (@PostpartumHelp) April 18, 2018
In a previous news release, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said that McAfee “suffers from alcoholism and postpartum depression and is possibly suicidal,” reported the Indianapolis Star. It wasn’t clear whether McAfee will be arrested or face charges.
Sara Pollard, an Indiana coordinator of Postpartum Support International, said that there are resources for mothers experiencing depression.
“We think of pregnancy and being a new mom as a happy, joyous time. But certainly, we know that as many as one and five, to one and seven women, will have symptoms of some type of mood or anxiety disorder,” Pollard told RTV.
“It can be guilt. It can’t be feeling overwhelmed. Maybe even some sadness, some ‘This isn’t what I thought it would be. This is harder than I anticipated.’ So that’s very unique to each woman who is experiencing symptoms,” she said.
“Please don’t hesitate to reach out. Please don’t suffer in silence. There are people out there. Many of us that volunteer with Postpartum Support International are survivors,” she added.