Authorities have identified a deceased infant girl found in a box on the side of the road in Minnesota 35 years ago. Local authorities have decided not to press charges against the child’s mother.
Authorities have recently announced the closure of a long-standing case involving a baby discovered back in 1989. Various news outlets, such as the Associated Press, CBS News, and local news outlet KNSI have reported this development.
A baby girl was discovered by a passerby on the side of a road in Santiago Township, and the case remained unsolved for more than thirty years, as reported by the AP.
However, Sherburne County investigators reopened the case last year with assistance from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI. A significant development in the investigation allowed them to successfully identify the child’s mother, as reported by CBS News.
The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for more information on Sunday, Aug. 18.
According to various sources, a woman, now 56 years old, recently revealed to authorities that she concealed her pregnancy and the birth of her baby from her family. She also stated that the child did not survive the birth. According to the AP, police have stated that the mother responded with a sense of panic and was unsure of how to handle the situation.
According to Sherburne County officials, CBS News reports that the 1989 autopsy of the baby, as well as a more recent re-examination, were unable to determine if the baby was born alive. According to the outlet, two pathologists have concluded that the child was most likely stillborn.
According to the AP, Sherburne County Attorney Kathleen Heaney has closed the case as the statute of limitations to file charges has expired.
“While the disposal of the child’s body was not in accord with the law, the statute of limitations has run and thereby forecloses any charges,” she said, per KNSI.
Authorities have been unsuccessful in their attempts to locate the burial site of the baby from 1989, which was originally handled by the county coroner’s office. The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office is seeking assistance from the public in identifying the location.