Summary
In January 1979, the remains of an unidentified newborn baby were found in a plastic bag in a landfill in Whiteville, a town in Columbus County, North Carolina. The Columbus County Sheriff's Office responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. They determined the infant was a newborn baby girl.
Despite a lengthy investigation, the newborn could not be identified and became known as Whiteville Baby Doe (1979). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP102485.
In 2024, investigators teamed with Othram to leverage identity inference, a process that enables investigators to identify individuals from DNA evidence, even when there is no known reference sample to initially compare against. Officials with the Columbus County Sheriff's Office and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation worked together to submit forensic evidence to Othram's laboratory headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.
At Othram, scientists reviewed details of the case, determining that advanced DNA testing could help to identify the baby. Othram scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided skeletal remains, using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive SNP profile for the newborn. This SNP profile powered a forensic search led by Forensic Genetic Genealogist Leslie Kaufman, resulting in new investigative leads about the baby's identity.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the baby. Reference DNA samples were collected from potential relatives and compared to the DNA profile of the unknown baby using KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing. This investigation led to the positive identification of the child's mother, who is now known to be Cathy McKee.
McKee, now 69, was recently arrested and charged with felony concealing the birth of a child. In 1979, McKee would have been about 22 years old.
This is the 17th publicly announced case in the State of North Carolina where officials leveraged Othram’s identity inference pipeline. Explore other cases on Othram’s website.
Dan Miller
Director of Customer Service
Dan guides law enforcement agencies across the United States and internationally through every step of the forensic process—from crime scene to courtroom. He ensures investigators have the support and resources they need to navigate advanced DNA testing and maximize the impact of forensic evidence in their cases.