A 42-year-old Waukesha cold case has been reopened with the hope DNA evidence will help solve the crime.
The body of a infant later named 'Baby Sarah' was found in a storm drain back in 1975.
"I couldn't have been happier," said retired Waukesha Police Officer John Bacskai.
Bacskai says he's once again hopeful for a cold case that brought his community so much sadness.
"I think about that all the time," he said.
Back in 1975, Bacskai was the first officer on the scene at Irving and Birch. He says that's because his young son ran home in a panic.
"My son had glanced in the sewer and thought it was a doll lying in the sewer," he said.
Bacskai came over to find a 9-pound baby dead in that storm drain.
"For the life of me I can't figure out why a person would do that to a child," said Bacskai.
Her parents and suspects were never found. The infant was given name 'Baby Sarah', she was buried and the case was suspended -- until last spring.
"I wouldn't stop until we get closure on this," said Bacskai.
Waukesha police decided to give the case another try with DNA evidence.
"We also exhumed the body of the infant that was discovered," said detective Tim Probst.
Samples were taken of ‘Baby Sarah’ and the people who once lived in the neighborhood where she was found were interviewed again, including Bacskai.
"They speculated a particular family that lived in the area where the baby was located," added Probst.
Waukesha detectives have since traveled to northern Wisconsin and Ohio to speak with persons of interest and to obtain DNA.
Bacskai is hopeful these efforts give 'Baby Sarah’ a voice -- even if it's decades late.
"There's got to be a mother out there that had to be thinking about this child,” he said. “I wish she would come forward so we could get closure on this."
'Baby Sarah's sample is still being analyzed at a lab in Texas. Probst said the process takes several months to perform.
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