A child in Cumberland, Rhode Island wrote to her local police department seeking to formally test food particles from leftover carrots and cookies for DNA to prove the existence of Santa Claus. Local authorities took the matter seriously and assisted in the curious child's search by opening an official investigation.
In the early hours of December 25th, 2022, a girl in Cumberland collected evidence in plastic bags and forwarded the materials to her local police department, accompanied by a letter.
“I took a sample of a cookie and carrots that I left for Santa and the reindeer on Christmas Eve and I was wondering if you could take a sample of DNA and see if Santa is real?”
The Cumberland Police Department responded to reports in this northeastern Rhode Island town. According to a press release by the small town's police chief Matthew J. Benson, the department was seeking forensic evidence to aid this young crime enthusiast's inquiry.
For privacy reasons, Cumberland PD kept the writer's age and name private, referring to the child as a "local young investigator."
Seeking further evidence on Santa Claus
Authorities assured this curious child that the case would be handled with appropriate measures. According to Cumberland PD, Chief Benson instructed his department's Investigative Division to send her evidence to the State of Rhode Island’s Department of Health- Forensic Sciences Unit for further analysis
“This young lady obviously has a keen sense for truth and the investigative process and did a tremendous job packaging her evidence for submission. We will do our very best to provide answers for her,” Chief Benson wrote.
The department stated that neighbors of the young investigator were able to provide evidence related to the open case from December 24th, 2022, just a day prior to the evidence being collected and sent to the department initially.