Surviving Tragedy

This is a partial transcript from "On the Record," December 17, 2004, that has been edited for clarity.

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GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, HOST: Joining for us New York is forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden. Hello, Dr. Baden.

DR. MICHAEL BADEN, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: Hi, Greta.

VAN SUSTEREN: Doctor, an eight-month pregnant woman, the baby is cut out of her. In order for the baby to survive, any level of expertise needed?

BADEN: Yes, there is needed a certain amount of knowledge about what to do, whether by a health professional or hunter. We’ve had this done with hunters who know how to dissect animals. But the person would have had to make the incision, remove the baby within less than eight minutes for the baby to be alive. And I must say, this seems to show — this does show super police work, to be able to track down the baby and get the baby so quickly because an eight-month baby of this nature should be fine. If she’s in good health right now, she’s going to be good because they got to her so quickly.

VAN SUSTEREN: Dr. Baden, the police are saying that they think she was strangled, but the — a baby taken this way, I assume would lead to incredible hemorrhaging and loss of blood by the mother. Is it likely to be a contributing factor to the death, or do you at least, at this moment, think strangulation probably killed her?

BADEN: Yes. Here’s where the pathologist is going to be very helpful. There must be some marks on the mom to show injury to the neck, is why police are saying it’s strangulation. And once she’s strangled, the bleeding slows — and dies, the bleeding slows down. But that’s when there has to be rapid removal of the baby. And the person has to know how to get down through the skin, and the pathologist will have an idea of the instrument that was used. And the person will have to have some skill to cut through the womb and remove the baby and cut the umbilical cord. And all that was done in a rapid manner, and it sounds like the cause of death is probably the strangulation, with some hemorrhage afterwards. But it’s fortunate they got to the baby so quickly.

VAN SUSTEREN: We only have about a minute left, but the incision leaves lots of clues. If the weapon isn’t there, I assume the incision will be instructive in the investigation, is that right?

BADEN: Absolutely. Whether it was brought in by the perpetrator, whether it was in the house at the time. It reminds one of Jack the Ripper, who did some of these things with removing the baby — not babies, removed the organs through the abdomen, and that’s why a physician or a butcher were the two prime suspects to be Jack the Ripper. And of course, with Scott Peterson, there was the issue brought up about some strangers cutting the baby out, which wasn’t true.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right, Dr. Baden, thank you very much. It always seems like each crime is the worse, and this one certainly is right up there. Thank you, Dr. Baden.

BADEN: Thank you.

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