Summary
In November 1989, a newborn male infant was discovered under the County Highway N bridge over the Des Plaines River in Paris, Wisconsin. Paris is located just south of Milwaukee. The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene. The full-term infant was found wrapped in blankets and placed inside of a plastic bag. It was determined that the baby was 5 to 12 days old at the time of his death, which was ruled a homicide. Investigators were unable to identify the baby or locate his next of kin. The infant was buried in St. John’s Cemetery in the Town of Randall.
The case went cold and was reopened in 2015 when new information emerged. In 2016, Baby John Doe’s remains were exhumed to collect DNA evidence for advanced DNA testing. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP13695. Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement investigators to identify the infant, no matches were found.
In 2022, forensic evidence was submitted to Othram's laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown infant. After successfully building a DNA profile for the infant, it was compared to the DNA profile of a potential relative. This comparison confirmed the identity of Baby John Doe's next of kin, whose name is not being disclosed at this time.
The case was referred to the Racine County District Attorney's Office where it was determined that charges would not be filed. The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department, which investigated the case as a homicide, has officially closed the case, pending any new leads or developments. Anyone who has any further information about the 1989 Baby John Doe incident and investigation is encouraged to contact Kenosha County Sheriff’s Lt. Neil Paulsen or Detective Jason Sielski at 262-605-5102.
This identification represents the fifth case in the State of Wisconsin where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Most recently in Appleton, Wisconsin, Gene Meyer, who raped and murdered Betty Rolf, was identified after more than 35 years.
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.