Thursday, September 7, 2023 3:41PM
MENDHAM TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WABC) — Investigators announced Thursday they have solved the case of an infant found dead nearly 40 years ago in Morris County, New Jersey.
The body of the newborn, who was named Baby Mary after she was found, was discovered abandoned in trash bags near a waterfall off Mount Pleasant Road on December 24, 1984.
After years of detective work, DNA analysis finally led investigators to identify the baby’s father and mother, said Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll.
WATCH: Update on unsolved 1984 ‘Baby Mary’ case
The baby’s mother, who was 17 at the time, was arrested in April and has since been charged with one count of manslaughter.
Because she was a juvenile at the time, prosecutors are not releasing her name.
The baby’s father is now deceased, Carroll said.
Thursday’s announcement brings closure to a case that frustrated investigators and community members for decades in Morris County.
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