News

Actions

Body of 'Baby John Doe' exhumed in Kenosha County

Posted at 7:00 PM, Aug 04, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-04 21:52:46-04

KENOSHA COUNTY -- 26 years after baby John Doe was buried, detectives are digging up the remains of his body to obtain DNA.  It's not a common practice, and its not an easy process.

"They had to go through with the maps of the cemetery. They had to dig where they thought it  would be, but it was on the other side," said Sgt. Eric Klinkhammer with the Kenosha County Sheriff's Dept.

On November 9th, 1989 the baby's body was found stuffed in a bag underneath a bridge in the Town of Paris. An autopsy determined the baby was born alive, and his death was ruled a homicide.

Now, nearly 27 years later, investigators could be close to finding out who killed the newborn boy.

"Is it a really good tip? It is. That's why we are going through these steps. Obviously, exhuming is something we have never done, and this is a good enough tip to get us to here," said Klinkhammer.

Obtaining the DNA is a two-part process. First, a forensic anthropologist with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will exam the remains. Then, the remains will be sent to Texas for further testing.

Detectives believe the person of interest still lives in this area. They say the next step is to wait for the DNA results.