Decades-old mystery needs resolution

HURON TWP. — An unidentified newborn's death nearly four decades ago, ruled a homicide, remains unsolved. Local law enforcement, who have reopened the case, need help to determine what happened. The newborn girl's life began and ended at Huron River Valley Campground. On June 2, 1982, the Wednesday after Memorial Day weekend, a sanitation company employee was cleaning out portable toilets when his truck's hose clogged. He investigated and saw what he thought was a doll. When he got a better look at the obstruction, he ran to the campground office and called the Erie County Sheriff's Office. The obstruction was the body of a newborn baby girl with an umbilical cord still attached. An autopsy established that the girl had been born alive and drowned. The report estimated that the baby died in between five and 10 minutes. The death was classified as a homicide. Over the following weeks, deputies interviewed many of the people who camped there over Memorial Day weekend. Several of those interviewed mentioned seeing a woman in her late teens or early 20s who was noticeably pregnant. One person said it appeared the young woman would go into labor at any moment. Deputies examined campground registrations but found few clues as many of the cards were incomplete. A campground employee said only one person from each party had to register, and people who arrived late at night or early morning, may not have registered at all. The sheriff's office reached out to hospitals, asking them to report anyone seeking treatment for post-birth symptoms such as hemorrhaging. This avenue did not produce any leads. Today, 39 years later, the child's identity remains unknown. "We would certainly like to give her a name," Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth said. The sheriff hoped that genetic genealogy could help crack the case. In that process, a DNA sample from an unidentified person is uploaded to a public DNA database, such as 23andMe. Using the profile from the unknown person, a family tree is constructed in an attempt to pinpoint the person's identity. This process was used to help capture the Golden State Killer in 2018 and has been used to give names to many unidentified persons. With advances in DNA technology, the baby's remains were exhumed in September 2013 in an attempt to obtain a genetic profile. Unfortunately, a DNA sample could not be acquired from the remains. Six years later, in 2019, the remains were once again exhumed for the purpose of obtaining a DNA sample. Technicians examined several parts of the body, including the teeth, but were once again unable to produce a genetic profile. "It may never be solved," Sigsworth said. Sgt. Alexis Harvey is currently assigned to the case, and Sgt. Dennis Papineau was previously assigned to the case. "We're looking for closure," Papineau said. Added Sigsworth: "We, collectively, over the years, have done our best to solve this case. We would want to talk to (her) mom." Moving forward, the only ways the case could come to resolution would be an advance in DNA technology, or a person coming forward with new information. In 2014, Balconi Monuments donated and installed a tombstone. It reads, "Baby Jane Doe. June 2, 1982. In God's care." "We just hope she rests in peace," Sigsworth said. Anyone with information about the case can call Erie County sheriff's detectives bureau at 419-627-7553.