Fetus found in Kensington sewer pipe

Plumbers working on a house in Kensington made a gruesome discovery late Monday afternoon -- a human fetus in a basement sewer pipe.

Police said a plumber and his assistant were working in a house on Russell Street near G around 4 p.m. when they made the discovery. They were in the basement trying to clear a clog in pipes connected to the toilet when they found the fetus stuck in the pipe, said Chief Inspector Scott Small.

Investigators preliminarily estimated the unborn fetus, which they said was about the size of a man's fist, to be about 14 to 16 weeks old. They said it did not appear to be decomposed.

"It may not be a crime scene," Small said outside the house as neighbors gathered on the narrow street. "It appears someone may have had a miscarriage."

Small said the men who found the fetus were taken to speak with investigators in the Special Victims Unit. He added that the Medical Examiner was at the scene and would perform an autopsy to determine the age of the fetus, whether it was viable and how long it had been in the pipe.

Police expressed concern for the woman involved, saying she's likely in need of medical attention.

Neighbors and police said a couple in their 60s had recently moved into the house. Police said they do not believe the woman who lives there was pregnant, so they're looking into who else may have been in the property recently.