Credit: Portland Police Bureau.
“Baby Precious,” a newborn infant girl who was found deceased over a decade ago, has been identified, and a suspect has been arrested related to her death.
On Tuesday, May 28, 2013, officers responded to a report of a deceased baby found in a recycling center at 4325 North Commerce Street. The Medical Examiner ruled the baby's death a homicide. Despite significant community outreach by the Portland Police Bureau and Crimestoppers of Oregon, and widespread community concern, the identity of Baby Precious remained unknown and the case went cold.
In 2019, the Portland Police Cold Case Unit took on the case under primary Detective Brendan McGuire. McGuire sent tissues to Bode Technology, a private forensics laboratory with whom the Bureau has partnered on several cases for forensic genetic genealogy assistance. It did not immediately result in a lead. In December 2021, McGuire was alerted to a family connection found. But the submission was anonymous. It took another year-and-a-half of investigation to identify Baby Precious’ maternity and paternity, and locate a suspect.
McGuire, with the assistance of the initial investigator, Detective Kristina Coffey, also learned that Baby Precious’ name was Amara.
In September 2023, the case was presented to a Grand Jury by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office. On September 18, the Grand Jury indicted Amara’s father, Alnath Omar Oliver, 53, of Portland, on charges of Manslaughter in the Second Degree (2 counts), Criminal Mistreatment in the First Degree (2 counts), Rape in the Third Degree, and Concealing the Birth of an Infant. On September 21, 2023, The United States Marshals Service arrested Oliver and booked him into the Multnomah County Detention Center on the arrest warrant.
“While we continue to mourn the death of baby Amara, we hope this significant announcement helps our community with the healing process from this tragedy,” said Chief Chuck Lovell. “I want to express my appreciation for the tenacity of the investigators in this case, and the determination they had to seek justice for ‘Baby Precious.’”
In April 2022, Lovell temporarily reassigned a Sergeant and two Detectives from the Cold Case Unit to the Homicide Unit to address a record number of homicides. However, the detectives retained their cases and continued to work on them, this case included, as they were able. The Portland Police Bureau recognizes the resolution of every homicide case is important for the family and community. With the assistance of our partners at the Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory and the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office, we will continue to seek justice for those victims that have no voice.
Oregon’s Safe Place for Newborns law (ORS 418.017) allows for a parent to leave an infant 30 days of age or younger at a hospital, birthing clinic, physician's office, sheriff's office, police station, fire station, or county health department. The parent will not face criminal penalties so long as there is no evidence of abuse present. The person leaving the newborn is not required to provide any identifying information about the newborn or parent, and may leave the facility at any time.
Republished courtesy of Portland Police Bureau.