Summary
In December 1992, the unidentified remains of an infant were found by workers who were moving garbage in an Iowa City, Iowa landfill. The Iowa City Police Department responded and began investigating. Investigators determined that the baby was a White male with brown hair and blue eyes. The baby's umbilical cord was still attached and it had not been tied. The baby's placenta was also found nearby. Investigators believe the newborn died 12 to 72 hours before he was found. Despite an extensive investigation by law enforcement, the newborn baby's parents could not be identified. The infant became known as Johnson County John Doe (1992) and details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP117622.
In 2021, the Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Iowa City Police Department partnered with Othram in The Woodlands, Texas, to see if advanced DNA testing could help identify the infant. Investigators submitted paraffin-embedded tissue samples, an especially challenging source for DNA testing since chemical fixatives like formaldehyde often damage DNA, create crosslinks, and make DNA testing difficult. Using a specialized process developed at Othram, scientists were able to recover and generate a DNA extract from the remains. With Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®, they produced a comprehensive DNA profile for the infant, which was then used in a forensic genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads about the infant’s identity.
A follow-up investigation was launched, which led investigators to a potential parent of the infant. It is now know that Johnson County John Doe was the child of 58-year-old Cindy Sue Elder, formerly known as Cindy Sue Eckrich. Elder was 26 years old when the child's body was found in the Iowa City landfill. She has been arrested on a charge of first-degree murder.
In February 2022, Elder was discovered to be living in Clever, Missouri, according to the Iowa City Police. Investigators spoke with Elder, who admitted to giving birth while living in an Iowa City residence. Elder told police the baby was born alive and it was determined that her actions caused the baby's death. Elder placed the newborn in a plastic sack and deposited it in a trash receptacle in Coralville. The father of the child told police he was unaware Elder was ever pregnant or that she had given birth to a child, which was confirmed by Elder directly.
The identification of the child represents the the 2nd publicly announced case in the State of Iowa. To see more cases in Iowa, check DNASolves.
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.