Cold cases can be endlessly fascinating for true crime enthusiasts. Unfortunately, after a certain amount of time, the chances of them getting solved aren't incredibly high. Some of them do, however, including a case involving the discovery of a dead baby in a shoebox in 1989.
A Minnesota infant was found on the side of the road 35 years ago. But for decades, no progress was made in identifying the baby or the mother. That changed very recently.
More from CafeMom: California Woman Charged With Allegedly Throwing Newborn Baby in Dumpster in 1987
The Sherburne County Sheriff's Office in Minnesota recently announced the cold case had been solved.
News broke August 15, 2024, that the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota had officially closed the 35-year-old cold case, KNSI reported. A passerby discovered the newborn's body on April 23, 1989, in Santiago Township, but investigators could not identify the infant or her parents at the time.
Last year, pathologists determined the baby was probably not born alive.
Both a 1989 autopsy and a review in 2023 failed to determine if the baby was born alive, according to the Associated Press. Two pathologists, however, thought the newborn was likely stillborn. The Sherburne County coroner's office buried the child, although the sheriff's office could not locate records indicating where.
DNA evidence recently identified the mother.
New investigative techniques, combined with state and federal help, made it possible for country authorities to solve the case. Ultimately, a DNA match identified the 56-year-old mother. The woman's name has not been publicly shared.
More from CafeMom: Twin Sisters Take a DNA Test & Discover Their Dad Was Kidnapped as a Child 75 Years Ago
She told investigators the baby was stillborn and she 'panicked.'
The woman told investigators that her family didn't know about the pregnancy. She claimed the baby girl was stillborn. According to the sheriff's office, “in a state of panic, she did not know how to handle the situation."
The mother won't be charged.
Sherburne County Attorney Kathleen Heaney closed the case earlier in August because the statute of limitations to file charges had run out. Consequently, the mother will not face any charges in the case.
