Police are asking for the public’s help as they investigate the death of a newborn baby found inside a portable toilet at the Electric Forest music festival in rural western Michigan over the weekend.
The body was discovered by an employee of the portable restroom vending company during routine maintenance on Sunday morning, June 29, the final day of the sold-out four-day festival. Michigan State Police confirmed the infant was a neonate, meaning the child was younger than 28 days old. The remains were located in the festival’s camping area at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, approximately 60 miles northwest of Grand Rapids.
According to sources, evidence at the scene suggested the baby had been born inside the portable toilet, with the placenta and umbilical cord present. However, authorities have not yet determined whether the infant was stillborn or died after birth. Police have not disclosed how the baby died, the infant’s gender, or whether a parent, guardian, or person connected to the baby has been identified.
An autopsy was completed on Monday, and Michigan State Police Lt. Pat Agema said police would provide updates once those results are reviewed by investigators. As of Monday, investigators had no new leads in the case.
“Investigators are asking for the public’s assistance,” police said in a statement. “If you were in the area and observed anything unusual, or if you have information that you believe may be relevant, we encourage you to come forward.”
The Electric Forest festival is a major draw for the region, bringing tens of thousands of attendees to the 2,000-acre Double JJ Resort each June. The four-day festival features electronic dance music and jam bands across multiple stages. This year’s event ran from Thursday through Sunday, with most attendees camping on the resort grounds. Festival organizers said the discovery caused them “so much pain” and urged attendees to assist in the investigation.
The festival began in 2008 as the Rothbury Music Festival and was renamed Electric Forest in 2011 under the creative direction of Insomniac and Madison House Presents. The event typically draws between 40,000 and 50,000 people and has sold out in advance every year it has operated since returning from a pandemic-related hiatus in 2022.
Michigan offers resources for parents in difficult circumstances. The state’s Safe Delivery program allows parents to safely and legally surrender a newborn no more than three days old to a uniformed employee on duty at any hospital, fire department, or police station, or to an emergency medical technician or paramedic by calling 911. In 2025, 29 infants were surrendered under the program.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Michigan State Police at 800-442-7766. Police asked the public to avoid speculation on social media out of respect for the investigation and those affected.
