Investigation into Baby Doe’s death in Vermont closed after 42 years, police said – NECN

After 42 years, the investigation into the death of an infant in Vermont has been concluded, state police announced on Wednesday. No charges will be filed.

On April 1, 1982, children waiting for a school bus on Mill Hill Road in Northfield found a dead baby next to the road, police reported.

Investigators said they were able to confirm that the body was that of a “recently born male infant.”

Because police were unable to identify the baby, the name “Baby Doe” was used for investigative purposes, authorities said.

According to police, an autopsy was performed and found that the baby was of the expected due date and showed signs of pre-existing medical conditions. However, the cause and manner of death have not yet been determined.

In late April of that year, the infant was baptized Matthew Isaac by the Rev. Frank E. Wisner III of St. Mary’s Church. He was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, authorities said.

Although the manner of death was never classified as a homicide, investigators said they always treated this case as a homicide until that classification could be ruled out.

In 2020, state police worked with Virginia-based DNA technology company Parabon NanoLabs and a year later they were able to obtain DNA samples from a woman from swabs taken from the infant and items in which he was found bundled, police said.

The evidence, police said, led them to the possible names of Matthew Isaac’s biological mother and father, who had ties to the Northfield area in 1982.

The baby’s official cause and manner of death will not be released until Baby Doe’s autopsy is completed. The district attorney said it is “imperative” that anyone with information about what happened to him come forward.

With the help of the Maine State Police, Vermont State Police were able to contact the parents and obtain their DNA, confirming that they were the infant’s biological parents, authorities said.

Matthew Isaac’s biological father left Vermont in 1982 and had no knowledge of the pregnancy or the disposal of the dead infant, police said.

According to authorities, the biological mother told investigators that she gave birth alone for several hours and lost consciousness. When she woke up, she found that she had given birth to a boy, but that the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and that he did not survive.

“She wanted to give the baby a proper burial and planned to find a place in the woods to bury it,” a police press release said. “As she walked into the woods, she thought she heard voices and became frightened. She turned to leave and slipped. The baby fell from her arms and she ran away. She never returned.”

Investigators met with the Washington County prosecutor to review the facts and autopsy information and concluded that a murder charge was not warranted, authorities said.

“It has been determined that the charge relating to the unauthorized disposal of a body is time-barred and therefore no criminal charges can be filed in this death investigation,” police said.

The names of Matthew Isaac’s parents were not released because no charges have been filed, according to police.

“With these findings, the investigation into the death of Matthew Isaac Doe is now considered closed,” authorities said.