Investigators have confirmed the identity of a baby boy who was found dead at an Indiana monastery nearly 40 years ago, authorities said.
Now, murder charges have been filed against the infant’s biological mother, the Dubois County Prosecutor’s Office announced in a Friday, February 13, news release.
For decades, the infant found dead at the Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand in 1987 was referred to as “Baby Doe,” according to the prosecutor’s office.
The question of the baby’s identity was finally solved with the help of “advances in DNA technology and investigative genealogy,” the prosecutor’s office said.
The technological developments have allowed “the community to remember him with dignity,” the office added.
The baby’s biological mother was charged with murder and voluntary manslaughter in late 2025, the prosecutor’s office said.
Woman Charged With Newborn’s Murder After Giving Birth in Homeless Camp
The office, which did not mention the woman by name, said that officials are releasing “preliminary information” on the case after receiving a recent inquiry for more information on the death of “Baby Doe.”
The woman facing criminal charges was said to be a juvenile when she was accused of killing her baby, according to prosecutors.
Her pregnancy was also allegedly “unintended,” prosecutors said.
“The seriousness of the charges reflects the loss of life, but officials stressed that the case also highlights the challenges faced by young people in crisis,” the prosecutor’s office said in the news release.
The office will not be releasing further details on the case at this time to respect privacy and legal considerations.
It was not currently clear whether the woman had retained legal representation or entered a plea.
“This has always been about honoring the life of a child who could not speak for himself,” Dubois County Prosecuting Attorney Beth Schroeder said in a statement. “Thanks to science and the perseverance of [the] Indiana State Police Cold Case Unit, we are able to close one chapter of this case while remembering the human circumstances surrounding it.”
Woman Arrested 5 Years After Baby’s Body Was Found in Suitcase
“Justice and compassion can walk hand in hand,” Schroeder added. “Our responsibility is not only to pursue accountability, but also to recognize the difficult realities that may have led to this tragedy.”
If the woman is convicted of murder in relation to her baby’s death, she could face between 45 to 65 years in prison, life in prison, or death, according to the Criminal Defense Team of Baldwin Perry & Wiley PC, an Indiana-based law firm.
If she is found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, she could face between 10 to 30 years in prison, according to the firm.
The law firm explains that “Voluntary manslaughter involves the same acts as murder in Indiana,” and that “The sudden heat of passion reduces the criminal culpability of the defendant from murder to voluntary manslaughter.”
In New Mexico, a woman was recently charged with a first-degree felony in connection with the death of her newborn daughter, Us Weekly previously reported.
The woman, Sonia Cristal Jimenez, was arrested on a charge of intentional child abuse resulting in death after she allegedly gave birth inside of a portable toilet and “dropped” her daughter inside the toilet’s holding tank, according to police.
