Pennsylvania State Police and Luzerne County District Attorney's Office Partner with Othram to Identify a 1980 Baby Doe

A male infant found in Larksville, PA has been unidentified for more than 40 years
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Published February 16 by Michael Vogen
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Summary

In August 1980, a bulldozer operator working at the West Side Landfill in Larksville, PA came across what he believed to be a doll. After closer inspection he realized it was a newborn boy. Investigators believe the baby boy was born alive and had no trauma to his body and no congenital abnormalities. He was estimated to have weighed 5.8 pounds. The unknown newborn was originally believed to have been alive 1 to 2 hours after birth but after a review of the original report, it is now believed that he might have lived for 1 to 3 days after birth.

The Coroner ruled his death to be due to acts of omissions. In 2016 the newborn was exhumed in an effort to obtain DNA evidence to assist with his identification. An artist rendering of the newborn was also commissioned in hopes someone might recognize who the baby is. Unfortunately, to date, the facial reconstruction has not led to an identification and all other leads have been exhausted.

The Pennsylvania State Police has now partnered with Othram with the goal of using advanced forensic technology to identify this infant or a close relative. Anyone with information that could aid in this investigation is encouraged to contact the Pennsylvania State Police at 570-821-4110. Please refer to Namus Case UP15765. A DNASolves fund has been created to cover the cost of testing for this case.

Help fund another case Your contributions pay for lab supplies and research tools

Michael Vogen

Michael Vogen

Director of Case Management

2829 Technology Forest Blvd Suite 100, The Woodlands, Texas 77381
media@othram.com

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.

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About Othram Inc.

Othram is the world’s first private DNA laboratory built specifically to apply the power of modern parallel sequencing to forensic evidence. Othram’s scientists are experts at ... Read morerecovery, enrichment, and analysis of human DNA from trace quantities of degraded or contaminated materials. Founded in 2018, and located in The Woodlands, Texas, our team works with academic researchers, forensic scientists, medical examiners, and law enforcement agencies to achieve results when other approaches have failed. Follow Othram on Twitter @OthramTech or visit Othram.com to learn how we can help you with your case. With dnasolves.com anyone can make a difference and help solve the next cold case.