Authorities were examining the mummified remains of two babies found inside newspapers dating to the 1930s and placed inside an old steamer trunk in a Los Angeles apartment building basement, police said last night.
The remains were found on Tuesday night by the property owner cleaning out the basement of the building in downtown Los Angeles, police said.
"We're trying to figure out if they're related, where they came from and how they died," said Ed Winter, assistant chief coroner for Los Angeles County, who added that the remains were "mummified."
Both sets of remains, which might be fetuses, were wrapped in Los Angeles Times newspapers dated 1933 and 1935. One of the bodies appeared to be full-term while the other's development was not determined, Mr Winters said.
The remains had been placed in two separate doctors bags before being put inside the trunk.
Investigators discovered some photos and paper documents that will hopefully assist in identification. Also in the trunk was a ticket stub to the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Mr Winters said.
Officials are classifying the cold case as a "death investigation" due to the lack of clarity over how the babies got to the location, and an extensive forensic examination will continue today, Mr Winter said.