Summary
In November 2001, the remains of an unidentified newborn were discovered in Johnson County, Texas between the towns of Alvarado and Burleson. Johnson County is located south of Fort Worth. A local resident was picking up cans on the side of Briar Oaks Road, when he found the lifeless infant wrapped in a jacket with their umbilical cord still attached. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the scene and it was determined that the newborn child was a female. The child was born alive, likely outside of a medical facility, and had only recently died. Without any clues to the infant's identity, she became known as "Angel Baby Doe".
Due to the circumstances surrounding Angel Baby Doe's death, investigators deemed the child's death the result of foul play. The Johnson County Sheriff’s office worked tirelessly for more than two decades to identify Angel Baby Doe.
In June 2021, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas in hopes that advanced DNA testing could help to identify the child. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA profile for the infant, and then used used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the child. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used this profile to conduct extensive genetic genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the infant. This investigation led to the positive identification of the infant's mother, Shelby Stotts, who has been indicted on multiple charges in connection to the death of Baby Angel Doe. The Texas Office of the Attorney General’s Missing Persons and Cold Case Unit secured an indictment against Stotts second-degree manslaughter.
According to the indictment, in November 2001, Stotts recklessly caused the death of her newborn daughter by leaving the baby unattended on the side of the road, failing to seek prompt medical care after giving birth, and failing to clamp the baby’s umbilical cord which caused the child to bleed to death. Stotts will be prosecuted under the laws that were in effect at the time of the offense.
Othram's costs for laboratory and investigative effort in this case were covered by a DNASolves® crowdfund. We are grateful to everyone that helped crowdfund this case and other DNASolves cases.
The identification of Shelby Stotts marks the 15th case in the State of Texas where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram.
Michael Vogen
Director of Case Management
Michael works with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada on “unsolvable“ cases that can benefit from advanced DNA testing methods. He helps these agencies use cutting edge DNA sequencing and new forensic techniques to develop investigative leads for their cases.