BOSTON, June 25, 2015—Authorities are seeking the public’s help after the body of a young child was discovered near the shoreline on Deer Island early this afternoon.

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, State Police Colonel Timothy Alben, and Winthrop Police Chief Terence Delehanty said today that a woman walking a dog at about 1:00 this afternoon made observations that led to the discovery of a child’s body near the shoreline.

The child, believed to be a female of toddler age, has not been identified. Neither her age nor her ethnicity is known yet, authorities said, and the circumstances of her death remain under investigation by State Police detectives assigned to the Suffolk DA’s office. An autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is expected tomorrow.

The State Police Fusion Center is sharing information on the discovery with police departments across Massachusetts and nationwide. Investigators are also notifying the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Perhaps most valuable will be assistance from members of the public who notice that a toddler-age girl is suddenly and without explanation missing from their community. Anyone aware of such a missing child may call the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit at 617-727-8817 or Winthrop Police at 617-539-5806.

–30–

All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.