Over 50 lawmakers urge acting AG to investigate deaths of 'The DC Five'

A group of over 50 legislators, led by Senator Mike Lee and Congressman Chris Smith, are calling on acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to investigate the deaths of five nearly full-term babies who were found among medical waste obtained from an abortion facility in Washington, D.C. in 2022.

Key Takeaways:

• In 2022, a medical waste box was retrieved from Washington, D.C. abortionist Cesare Santangelo's abortion facility.

• Inside were the remains of over 100 aborted children, five of whom appeared to be nearly full-term; at least one appeared to be the potential victim of a federally-illegal D&X ("partial-birth") abortion.

• Authorities in D.C. have for years done no investigations into the matter.

• The legislators are calling on Blanche to investigate the deaths of the babies, now often referred to as "The Five."

The Backstory:

WARNING: Photos of abortion victims below.

In 2022, Terrisa Bukovinac and Lauren Handy, both members of the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU), were outside the Washington Surgi-Clinic, home of Cesare Santangelo. A medical waste driver was picking up waste from the facility at the time.

“After he confirmed the boxes were from Washington [Surgi-Center], I asked him, ‘Would you get in trouble if we took one of these boxes?’” Bukovinac explained. “And he asked, ‘What would you do with them if you took one?’ Lauren said we would give them a proper burial and a funeral.”

Inside the box was a red bag containing the remains of 110 aborted children, most of whom were victims of first-trimester abortions. Five, however, were much later in gestational age.

One, named Harriet by pro-life activists, is believed to have been the potential victim of a federally-illegal D&X (partial-birth) abortion. A Catholic deacon was present as they opened the boxes.

PAAU arranged for a funeral Mass to be said for all of the babies, with all but The Five given a respectful burial. They then sought out an independent pathologist to examine the bodies of the five later abortion victims, and also contacted the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., to urge an investigation.

Attorney Steve Cooley wrote to Chief Medical Examiner Francisco J. Diaz and Police Captain Carols Heraud of the Investigative Services Bureau Homicide Branch, saying, “The purpose of this communication is to advise appropriate authorities of this situation and request an investigation and forensic examinations be undertaken as required by applicable law.” 

The next day, Handy was arrested for a prior, unrelated instance of pro-life activism which had occurred two years earlier.

On April 1, police held a press conference, and denied that The Five were possible victims of illegal abortion procedures. “There doesn’t seem to be anything criminal in nature right now about that, except for how they got into this house, and so we'll continue to look into that,” Chief Ashan M. Benedict said.

This statement was made despite no investigation or autopsies having taken place.

Several medical experts told Live Action News that Harriet could have been possibly been the victim of a partial-birth abortion, based on the fact that her right eye was open and apparent brain matter was protruding from the back of her head. The bulging eye could have resulted from high-powered suction used in a D&X procedure. Drs. Forrest Smith (an abortionist), Kathi Aultman (a former abortionist who is now pro-life), and Ingrid Skop all agreed a partial-birth abortion may have been committed. As Aultman explained:

[Baby girl #1] appears to be in the late 2nd or early 3rd trimester. She has some bruising of the face and some maceration of the skin, which could be consistent with death prior to the abortion. She appears intact and completely normal except for trauma to the neck, possibly from traction applied during the attempt to deliver the head.

There appears to be an incision at the base of the skull, and the head has been decompressed by removing the brain. This is consistent with an Intact D&E [dilation and evacuation] or D&X [dilation and extraction].

If the baby was alive at the start of this procedure, it would be considered a Partial Birth Abortion and would be illegal.

Dr. Kendra Kolb, a neonatologist, added that Harriet “has obvious and extensive deep tissue lacerations in the posterior neck region, making the cause of her death very suspicious for an Intact Dilation and Extraction procedure in which the body of the child is pulled out feet first to the point where only the child’s head remains inside the cervix.”

Federal legislators sent a letter to then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, asking the United States Department of Justice to investigate the babies’ deaths. Over four years later, Santangelo has not been investigated for the deaths of The Five. 

The Details:

Over 50 Republican lawmakers have sent a letter to Blanche requesting that the Department of Justice open an investigation into the deaths of The Five.

Lee said in a press release:

"Four years ago now, the bodies of five preborn children were found in D.C., apparently victims of infanticide or illegal partial-birth abortions. Those babies have still not received justice or proper investigations.

Americans cannot tolerate rogue abortion clinics performing gruesome murders and casting helpless victims aside like garbage, especially not in our Nation’s capital. This crime demands attention and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.

I urge the Department of Justice to give this alarming case the full investigation it deserves, and the victims the proper autopsies and burials they are owed.”

Smith added:

"The Biden Administration’s deliberate and callous mishandling of the ‘D.C. Five’ case has been a stain on the Department of Justice for over four years now. These five beautiful, innocent babies—who were violently exterminated—deserve justice, accountability, and respect.

All those involved and complicit in these children’s barbaric deaths must be held to account, and we are calling upon President Trump’s Department of Justice to ensure that these battered baby victims receive their day in court."

The letter noted that the previous attempt to urge a Department of Justice investigation received no response from then-AG Garland or the Biden administration.

Discovered infant bodies may indicate infanticide after attempted abortions [GRAPHIC CONTENT]

Additionally, the legislators noted that Trump administration officials had promised to investigate the deaths already, with former Attorney General Pam Bondi saying in a June 2025 House budget hearing that the agency “was conducting an ongoing investigation into this case," while a brief from President Donald Trump told the agency to “‘provide a briefing to the Committees on all actions previously taken by the Department on this issue within 180 days after the enactment of this act.'"

Blanche has been acting Attorney General since April, but has yet to be confirmed by the Senate. The Department of Justice said in a statement to the Daily Wire that the agency had received the letter and that "the appropriate personnel within the Department are reviewing it carefully.”

The Bottom Line:

The deaths of The Five have been ignored for far too long. Justice for these infants is long overdue, and Blanche must take immediate action.