Mother of Angel Baby Doe, found dead in a Texas cow pasture 20 years ago, arrested

A Texas high school employee was just arrested after allegedly abandoning her newborn baby in a cow pasture with the umbilical cord still attached more than 20 years ago and letting the little girl bleed to death, authorities said.

Shelby Stotts, 48, was arrested Tuesday on second-degree manslaughter charges after a DNA test finally confirmed she was the baby’s biological mother, according to the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

The baby, long nicknamed “Angel Baby Doe,” was found on the side of the road near Fort Worth in November 2001.

As investigators later reported, it turned out that the baby was still alive and breathing at birth.

According to authorities, Angel Baby Doe eventually bled to death because her umbilical cord had not been clamped.

According to court documents, Stott’s DNA was not linked to the crime until last September.

However, it was not immediately clear how authorities could classify her as a person of interest in the decades-old case.

She is accused of negligently causing the death of her baby because she did not seek immediate medical attention after the birth, authorities said.

Stotts had worked as a teaching assistant at Cleburne High School, FOX 4 reported.

The Cleburne Independent School District said it was “notified of the grand jury arrest and indictment of Shelby Stotts. Cleburne ISD takes these allegations very seriously. Shelby Stotts is no longer employed by Cleburne ISD.”

It was not immediately clear when Stotts left her position or whether she was fired.

“After more than twenty years, we are one step closer to justice for Angel Baby Doe and can ensure that the person responsible for this tragedy is held accountable,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement.

“I am grateful for the talent and tenacity of our investigators and commend the law enforcement officers of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office for their dedication to uncovering the truth.”