California's Monterey County Cold Case Taskforce Teams with Othram to Identify a 1994 Baby Doe

Summary

In December 1994, the body of a Baby John Doe was discovered in the Las Lomas area of Monterey County, California. A man who was collecting aluminum cans on the side of Garin Road made the discovery when he picked up a paper grocery bag and found the infant inside, wrapped in a blanket. It was determined that the child’s body had been left on the roadside several weeks prior. An autopsy revealed that the infant was born alive and was likely several days old at the time of his death.

The infant became known as “Baby Garin,” named for the road on which his body was discovered. For years, investigators were unable to determine the identity of the child. In an effort to finally identify the infant and the person responsible for his death, the Monterey County Cold Cask Task Force team with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to resolve the decades-old mystery.

In November 2022, evidence was submitted to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram’s scientists successfully developed a DNA extract and used Forensic Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the infant. This profile was provided to the Monterey County Cold Case Taskforce so that a forensic genetic genealogy search could be performed for the development of new leads in the case.

Using these new leads, the investigation into the infant’s identity continued. This investigation led to likely family members of Baby Garin. Follow-up interviews were conducted and reference DNA samples were collected, leading to the identification of Baby Garin’s mother, 60-year old Pamela Ferreryra. Ferreryra, a resident of Watsonville, California, was arrested on October 17, 2024 for the infants’ death.

This identification marks the 49th case in the State of California where an individual has been identified using technology developed by Othram. You can read about other California cases on DNASolves.