GUILTY CO - Larimer Co., 'Baby Faith' Newborn Fem 557UFCO, in reservoir, Aug'96 *arrest*

[Niner]

Court site still showing as happening today....


Thursday, May 28th:
*Disposition Hearing (@ 10:30am MT) – CO – Baby Faith (newborn) (August 24, 1996 found on the shores of Horsetooth Reservoir) - *Jennifer Katalinich aka Jennifer Tjornehoj (42/19 @ time of crime) arrested & charged (11/5/19) with 1st degree murder (victim under 12) & 2nd degree murder. $25K bond posted & surrendered her passport.
Infant's DNA was input into a public genealogy database found match (GEDMatch).
11/5/19 Update: Next disposition hearing 1/21/20. 1/21/20: Katalinich's attorney David Mestas asked Eighth Judicial District Judge Susan Blanco to set Katalinich's next hearing at least 75 days out, citing "further discovery" in the case that needs to be investigated. Has not entered a plea yet. Next Preliminary hearing on 4/8. 4/1/20: Preliminary hearing on 4/8 has been cancelled due to coronavirus. Next Disposition hearing on 5/28.

 

[Niner]

Don't know if the hearing happened yesterday - court does have new court date for Disposition.

Date Len Name Hearing Type Case # Location Division
6/29/20
11:30 AM 1Hr KATALINICH, JENNIFER Disposition Hearing D352019CR2718 Larimer County DIV 5C

link: Seventh Judicial District » Docket Search

 

[Niner]

Ah - she did appear in court - an article about it.

Baby Faith homicide: Next hearing set for Colorado woman arrested in infant's 1996 death

May 28, 2020

A new disposition hearing has been set for the Colorado woman arrested in Larimer County's 1996 "Baby Faith" homicide.

Jennifer Katalinich, of Erie, appeared in Eighth Judicial District Judge Susan Blanco's Larimer County courtroom Thursday morning. There, her next hearing was set for 11:30 a.m. June 29.

Katalinich's attorneys, David Mestas and Andy Gavaldon, also subpoenaed Larimer County Coroner Dr. James Wilkerson before the court Thursday, where Wilkerson produced original documents from his office regarding the case.
[.....]
Katalinich's June 29 disposition hearing was set for at least 30 minutes to allow time for possible victim impact statements.
[.....]
Though forensic genealogy led investigators to Katalinich, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office has repeatedly declined to release whether the woman is Baby Faith's mother.

Katalinich, who was going by her maiden name, Tjornehoj, when Baby Faith died, has not entered a plea in the case. She remains out on bond.

 

[Niner]

Monday, June 29th:
*Disposition Hearing (@ 11:30am MT) – CO – Baby Faith (newborn) (August 21, 1996 found on the shores of Horsetooth Reservoir) - *Jennifer Katalinich aka Jennifer Tjornehoj (19 @ time of crime/42) arrested & charged (11/5/19) with 1st degree murder (victim under 12) & 2nd degree murder. $25K bond posted & surrendered her passport.
Infant's DNA was input into a public genealogy database found match (GEDMatch).
11/5/19 Update: Next disposition hearing 1/21/20. 1/21/20: Katalinich's attorney David Mestas asked Eighth Judicial District Judge Susan Blanco to set Katalinich's next hearing at least 75 days out, citing "further discovery" in the case that needs to be investigated. Has not entered a plea yet. Next Preliminary hearing on 4/8. 4/1/20: Preliminary hearing on 4/8 has been cancelled due to coronavirus. Next Disposition hearing on 5/28.
5/28/20 Update: Katalinich's attorneys, David Mestas & Andy Gavaldon, subpoenaed Larimer County Coroner Dr. James Wilkerson before the court Thursday, where Wilkerson produced original documents from his office regarding the case. Katalinich's June 29 disposition hearing was set for at least 30 minutes to allow time for possible victim impact statements. She remains out on bond.

 

[Reasonable & Just]

Rest in Peace, Baby. I'm sorry this happened to you. I wonder what led the suspect to choose this path.

 

[Jake479]

I'm so happy that she's been identified. RIP Baby Faith

 

[Niner]

Well - I believe she pled guilty as there is now a sentencing date on the court site.

Date Len Name Hearing Type Case # Location Division
10/8/20
1:30 PM 1Hr KATALINICH, JENNIFER Sentencing Hearing D352019CR2718 Larimer County DIV 5C

link: Seventh Judicial District » Docket Search


Hopefully there will be an article out soon to "see" what happened at the hearing.

 

[Niner]

Yep - she plead guilty!

Baby Faith homicide: Jennifer Katalinich pleads guilty in infant's 1996 death

June 29, 2020

Nearly eight months after she was arrested in the 1996 cold case homicide of Larimer County's "Baby Faith," Jennifer Katalinich pleaded guilty to two amended charges in the case Monday.

Katalinich, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of criminally negligent homicide of an at-risk juvenile — a Class 4 felony — and another count of tampering with physical evidence, a Class 6 felony.

Together, the charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. Her sentence will be determined at a hearing Oct. 8. Until then, she'll remain out of custody on a $25,000 bond.

 

[Niner]

I guess she got lucky considering she was charged with 1st degree murder (victim under 12) & 2nd degree murder!!

 

[Niner]

Thursday, October 8th:
*Sentencing Hearing (@ 1:30pm MT) – CO – Baby Faith (newborn) (August 21, 1996 found on the shores of Horsetooth Reservoir) - *Jennifer Katalinich aka Jennifer Tjornehoj (19 @ time of crime/42) arrested & charged (11/5/19) with 1st degree murder (victim under 12) & 2nd degree murder. $25K bond posted & surrendered her passport.
Infant's DNA was input into a public genealogy database found match (GEDMatch).
Court info from 11/5/19 thru 5/28/20 reference post #24 here:
GUILTY - CO - Larimer Co., 'Baby Faith' Newborn Fem 557UFCO, in reservoir, Aug'96 *arrest*
6/29/20 Update: Katalinich plead guilty to 2 amended charges: one count of criminally negligent homicide of an at-risk juvenile — a Class 4 felony — and another count of tampering with physical evidence, a Class 6 felony. Together, the charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. Her sentence will be determined at a hearing Oct. 8. Until then, she'll remain out of custody on a $25K bond.

 

[Niner]

Looks like sentencing was rescheduled.

Date Len Name Hearing Type Case # Location Division
10/22/20
8:30 AM 1Hr KATALINICH, JENNIFER Sentencing Hearing D352019CR2718 Larimer County DIV 5C

link: Seventh Judicial District » Docket Search

 

[Niner]

Here's the reason why sentencing was postponed.

Sentencing in Baby Faith case delayed due to COVID-19 exposure – Loveland Reporter-Herald

Oct. 8, 2020

The sentencing of a woman who pleaded guilty in the 1996 death of a newborn baby found in Horsetooth Reservoir has been delayed because she is in quarantine due to a COVID-19 exposure.

Erie resident Jennifer Katalinich, 43, appeared remotely in 8th Judicial District Court on Thursday, the day she was to be sentenced for criminally negligent homicide and tampering with physical evidence, both felony charges, in the death of the child known as Baby Faith.
[.....]
Because of the possibility of a lengthy sentence, Blanco said she wants Katalinich to be in the courtroom for her sentencing. But because of the risk of spreading infection in the courtroom, and in the county jail and prison if she were to be taken into custody at the hearing, Blanco delayed the sentencing.

She said the delay was to “maintain public health and safety” during the pandemic.

Katalinich, who learned of her exposure Monday and took a COVID-19 test on Tuesday, was asked by public health officials to quarantine until Oct. 16.

The judge scheduled her sentencing hearing the following week, at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 22.

 

[Niner]

Thursday, October 22nd:
*Sentencing Hearing (@ 8:30am MT) – CO – Baby Faith (newborn) (August 21, 1996 found on the shores of Horsetooth Reservoir) - *Jennifer Katalinich aka Jennifer Tjornehoj (19 @ time of crime/42) arrested & charged (11/5/19) with 1st degree murder (victim under 12) & 2nd degree murder. $25K bond posted & surrendered her passport.
Infant's DNA was input into a public genealogy database found match (GEDMatch).
Court info from 11/5/19 thru 5/28/20 reference post #24 here:
GUILTY - CO - Larimer Co., 'Baby Faith' Newborn Fem 557UFCO, in reservoir, Aug'96 *arrest*
6/29/20 Update: Katalinich plead guilty to 2 amended charges: one count of criminally negligent homicide of an at-risk juvenile — a Class 4 felony — and another count of tampering with physical evidence, a Class 6 felony. Together, the charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. Her sentence will be determined at a hearing Oct. 8. Until then, she'll remain out of custody on a $25K bond.
10/8/20 Update: Sentencing was rescheduled on 10/22/20 due to her being in quarantine due to COVID exposure.

 

[Niner]

Woman sentenced to prison in 'Baby Faith' case | 9news.com

October 22, 2020
LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — A Larimer County judge sentenced Jennifer Katalinich to three years of community correction for the death of "Baby Faith" in 1996.
[.....]
Katalinich was originally charged with first-degree murder and second-degree murder. She pleaded guilty to lesser charges of criminally negligent homicide of an at-risk juvenile — a Class 4 felony — and tampering with physical evidence, a Class 6 felony, in late June.

Since I've never heard of "Community correction" - had to look it up!

Colorado community corrections program provides sentencing alternatives for individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes. These programs may be available for defendants who are otherwise ineligible for probation supervision or those who have served a portion of their prison sentence and are awaiting parole placement.