Credit: Othram
On the morning of Jan. 26, 1985, a newborn baby was found abandoned in a wooded area off Fruit Street in Mansfield, Massachusetts. A father and son made the discovery while they were on a rabbit hunting trip, approximately six-tenths of a mile south of the Mansfield Airport. The father noticed footprints in the snow that ended at a stone wall where he observed what he initially believed was a doll lying partially covered by snow. Upon closer inspection, the man realized it was the body of a newborn baby.
Investigators recovered the infant's body and determined the child was a Caucasian baby boy. The child had been born alive, but died a short time after birth. The baby was buried at Spring Brook Cemetery in Mansfield. Despite an extensive investigation that included interviews, public appeals, and thousands of investigative leads, authorities were unable to determine the child's identity or identify the person responsible for his death.
In 2024, the Bristol County District Attorney's Office working with the Massachusetts State Police and the FBI, submitted evidence from the 1985 Baby Doe investigation to Othram for advanced forensic DNA testing. At Othram, scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to develop a comprehensive SNP profile suitable for forensic genetic genealogy.
The resulting DNA profile was used by the FBI's team in a forenesic genetic genealogy search, which generated new investigative leads in the case. These leads enabled investigators to identify the potential biological relatives of the child, including his mother, Diane Curry Peck.
Evidence developed during the investigation was presented to a Bristol County grand jury, which returned an indictment charging 59-year-old Dianne Curry Peck of Attleboro, Mass., with murder. Peck was arraigned in Bristol County Superior Court and entered a plea of not guilty.
This identification represents the 12th case in the State of Massachusetts where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. To learn about other cases, visit Othram's website.
Republished courtesy of Othram