FBI offers $15,000 reward in Electric Forest infant death case
The FBI is offering up to $15,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of whoever left a dead infant in a portable toilet at Michigan's Electric Forest music festival. Michigan State Police said preliminary autopsy findings indicate the infant was viable and born alive. Authorities found the body on June 28, 2026, the festival's final day.
Key Takeaways
- A newborn infant was discovered June 28 in a porta-potty in the Good Life camping area at Electric Forest in Rothbury, Michigan.
- Preliminary autopsy results indicate the infant was born alive and viable, elevating the case from an abandoned-baby probe to a potential homicide investigation.
- The FBI Detroit Field Office is assisting Michigan State Police and offering up to $15,000 for tips that lead to an arrest and conviction.
- Police cleared a Muskegon festival attendee as a suspect after DNA testing, but no arrests have been announced.
- Anyone with information can contact Michigan State Police at 855-MICH-TIP or submit tips at tips.fbi.gov.
What Happened at Electric Forest on June 28?
Electric Forest draws tens of thousands of visitors each year to the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Oceana County. On the morning of June 28—the last day of the four-day event—a restroom vendor employee found the infant's body during routine maintenance in a portable toilet in the Good Life camping area, according to Michigan State Police.
Investigators have released few details about the circumstances surrounding the death to protect the integrity of the probe. Michigan State Police said the case remains active, and no arrests have been announced as the investigation ramps up.
Was the Infant Born Alive?
Yes. Michigan State Police confirmed that preliminary autopsy findings show the infant was viable and born alive, a detail reported by The Detroit News and other outlets covering the case. Officials have not publicly released a final cause of death.
That finding matters because it confirms the newborn took at least one breath outside the womb. Abandoning a live infant can carry serious criminal penalties under Michigan law, and investigators are treating the death as a potential crime rather than a stillbirth.
How Can the Public Help Investigators?
The FBI Detroit Field Office joined the case in mid-July and is offering up to $15,000 for tips leading to identification, arrest, and conviction. Michigan State Police said it believes people with relevant information may be reluctant to come forward.
Anyone who attended Electric Forest or saw something unusual in the Good Life area the morning of June 28 is urged to call 855-MICH-TIP (855-642-4847), visit michigan.gov/michtip, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. Tips can be submitted anonymously.
Who Has Police Ruled Out So Far?
State police investigated a tip about a festival attendee from Muskegon and cleared her as a suspect after cooperative interviews and DNA testing. Falana Scott, who spoke publicly with MLive on July 14, said she provided every DNA sample investigators requested and was officially eliminated on July 10.
Scott said she was between 10 and 13 weeks pregnant during the festival but later suffered a miscarriage—a detail she shared to counter false online accusations. For more on similar unsolved cases, see our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries coverage.
No arrests have been announced. Michigan State Police said continued investigative work, combined with forensic science, is expected to help identify whoever left the infant in the porta-potty.