Newborn Found Dead in Porta-Potty at Electric Forest Festival
Michigan State Police are investigating after a newborn baby was found dead inside a portable restroom at the Electric Forest music festival on Sunday morning.
The discovery was made in the camping area of the annual festival, which takes place at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan. According to Michigan State Police, the body was found by an employee of the restroom servicing company during routine maintenance.
“Michigan State Police can confirm that the body of a neonate was found in a portable restroom in the camping area at the Electric Forest festival Sunday morning,” MSP said in a public statement. “Neonate” is a term used to describe a newborn infant.
Authorities have not released the baby’s identity, the exact circumstances of the death, or whether anyone has been identified in connection with the case. Police have also not publicly said whether the baby was born alive or stillborn, and the investigation remains active.
WOOD TV8 reported, citing sources, that the baby was full-term.
Electric Forest is one of Michigan’s largest annual music festivals, drawing tens of thousands of people to Rothbury for four days of electronic music, camping and art installations. The 2026 festival ran from June 25 through June 28 and was sold out.
The discovery came on the final day of the event.
As of Sunday, festival officials had not issued a public statement on the situation.
Investigators are asking anyone who was in the area and saw anything unusual, or anyone who may have information relevant to the case, to contact Michigan State Police. Tips can also be submitted through the Michigan Intelligence Operations Center tip portal.
Michigan has a Safe Delivery of Newborns law that allows a parent to safely, legally and confidentially surrender a newborn who is no more than three days old to an on-duty employee at a hospital, fire department or police station, or to an emergency medical technician or paramedic by calling 911.
