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Cold Case Solved: DNA Links Mom to 1985 Baby's Death
2 Jul
Summary
- DNA from a soda bottle allegedly linked a mother to her son's 1985 death.
- The newborn, known as 'Baby Boy Doe,' was found abandoned in the snow.
- The case remained unsolved for 41 years until recent DNA technology.
A Massachusetts woman, Dianne Curry Peck, 59, has been charged with murder in connection with the 1985 death of her newborn son. The infant, who became known as 'Baby Boy Doe,' was discovered by hunters in the woods of Mansfield, Massachusetts, on January 26, 1985. The child, found naked with the umbilical cord still attached, was determined to have been born alive before dying shortly thereafter.
For 41 years, the case remained a cold one until investigators reopened it in 2022. Partnering with the FBI and state authorities, they utilized DNA technology to analyze the baby's remains. DNA recovered from a soda bottle found in Peck's trash ultimately led to her identification. Peck, who was 17 and a student at Mansfield High School at the time, allegedly told investigators she gave birth in her ex-boyfriend's car and believed the baby was given for adoption.
Prosecutors argue that Peck's timeline of events is inconsistent with the condition of the infant's body and the freezing temperatures, suggesting the baby was in the woods for a much shorter period than she claimed. Her ex-boyfriend, who she believed facilitated an adoption, died in 2020. Authorities noted there is no evidence that anyone knew of Peck's pregnancy. Peck pleaded not guilty to the murder charge in court on Tuesday.
