GUILTY OH - Geauga's Child, newborn baby boy, found deceased, Geauga County 1993 *mother arrested in 2019*

[JanetElaine]

‘Geauga Child’s’ mother arrested in unsolved murder case that went unsolved for 26 years

‘Geauga Child’s’ mother arrested in unsolved murder case that went unsolved for 26 years

GEAUGA COUNTY, Ohio -- The 26-year investigation to find the killer of the baby boy who became known as “Geauga’s Child” ended with the arrest of his mother Thursday by the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office.

Police took Gail Eastwood-Ritchey, 49, into custody in Cleveland Thursday morning. She’s charged with aggravated murder and is expected to make her first court appearance Friday morning.

A search warrant was issued two weeks ago for Eastwood-Ritchey’s DNA. She admitted to investigators that she gave birth to the child, only to later place him into a trash bag and desert him in a wooded area in the county.

[...]

Eastwood-Ritchey also admitted to committing a similar crime two years prior to the death of the "Geauga Child.” That case, which remains under investigation, involves a similar set of circumstances where Eastwood-Ritchey gave birth to another child and disposed of it in a bag, Geauga County Sheriff Scott Hildebrand said.

bbm

 

[JanetElaine]

Mother accused of killing newborn in 'Geauga's Child' case told job she was going to get arrested 2 weeks ago

Gail Eastwood-Ritchey, the Euclid mother who is accused of killing her newborn in Geauga County back in 1993, told her co-workers she was going to be arrested two weeks ago.

She worked as a receptionist at Noreen Londregan’s School of Dance in Mayfield Village for three years. Colleen Rhode, a director at the dance studio, says she met with Eastwood-Ritchey and her husband, where she told them she was in trouble. It was the first and only sign Rhode believed something was wrong.

 

[JanetElaine]

06/06/2019 CASE SCHEDULED Event: ARRAIGNMENTS Date: 06/10/2019 Time: 9:30 am Judge: PASCHKE, CAROLYN J Location: COURTROOM A

06/06/2019 CASE SCHEDULED Event: ARRAIGNMENTS Date: 06/10/2019 Time: 9:30 am Judge: NO JUDGE ASSIGNED

https://web.geaugacourts.org/eservi...ev-VQw7ub5WyeYBxpFGn0rSrnHaCaS253O5dinjOhQSBw

 

[JanetElaine]

• RITCHEY, GAIL M

- DEFENDANT
Charge # 1 :
2903.01 - Special Felony AGGRAVATED MURDER

• RITCHEY, GAIL M

- DEFENDANT
Charge # 2 :
2903.02 - Special Felony MURDER

https://web.geaugacourts.org/eservi...ev-VQw7ub5WyeYBxpFGn0rSrnHaCaS253O5dinjOhQSBw

 

[JanetElaine]

Woman who found Geauga’s Child 26 years ago speaks out as the case has been solved

Cheryl Jenkins was just 21 years old, out delivering newspapers with her friend Wendy Sweeney, when they found a newborn baby, deceased, on the side of a rural road in Geauga County.

 

[JanetElaine]

Woman charged with infant’s murder in 1993 Geauga County cold case in court Monday

Ritchey will be arraigned at the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas at 9:30 a.m. Monday. If convicted, she could face life in prison.

 

[JanetElaine]

Geauga's Child (Unknown-1993) - Find A Grave...

 

[JanetElaine]

Gail Ritchey was arraigned on a count of murder and a count of aggravated murder yesterday and according to the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas docket was released after her husband paid 10% of a $250,000 bond - she's wearing a GPS monitor and had to surrender her passport. Ritchey pleaded not guilty.

I thought this was interesting, I like seeing them using this method:

"Investigators used relatively new developments in DNA technology to identify a list of potential family members of the child. This process involved the creation of a family tree consisting of over 1,400 people from around the world who were possible relatives of the baby boy.

The list was narrowed by using an online database that collects voluntarily submitted DNA samples. The method of using family DNA to solve dormant criminal cases rose in prominence after the 2018 arrest of California’s notorious Golden State Killer."

Mother of ‘Geauga’s Child’ makes court appearance 26 years after her baby was found dead

 

[iulia]

Euclid woman charged in 'Geauga's Child' cold case to face judge Tuesday

CHARDON, Ohio — She’s been out on bond since her June arrest, but Gail Eastwood-Ritchey is due back in court Tuesday afternoon for a pretrial hearing in the “Geauga’s Child” cold case, which involves the death of a newborn boy dating back more than two decades.

 

[jaejae]

Here is a video report about this case:

 

[iulia]

Chardon mom charged in baby’s cold case death wants trial moved

 

[iulia]

Ohio mom's trial in newborn baby's death won't be moved yet

The trial of a woman who authorities say put her newborn baby boy in a garbage bag and left him in a wooded area in 1993 won't be immediately moved over concerns of extensive pre-trial publicity, a judge ruled.

 

[Niner]

Hearings:

1/10/2020 02:00 PM CRIMINAL TRIAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE ONDREY, DAVID M

01/27/2020 08:30 AM JURY TRIAL ONDREY, DAVID M

link: https://web.geaugacourts.org/eservi...fTWzKwNvesEHdXwTuRWBiF67hnRvtPLRy0lA*89jWu3Mg

 

[Niner]

Geauga’s Child murder case: Attorneys convene in judge’s chambers for status call


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The decades-old Geauga’s Child murder case found new life in 2019 when authorities tracked down a suspect, the child’s mother, Gail Eastwood Ritchey.

The building that houses the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas is where proceedings will unfold in the heartbreaking case.

Today, the attorneys for Ritchey went into Judge David Ondrey’s chambers for a status call.

Ritchey was not in attendance.

“She admitted that she had birthed a child, placed him in a trash bag and left him in a wooded area,” Geauga County Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand told the media when the news broke last year.

 

[Niner]

I can't seem to access this article, even with Outline - can someone give a 10% synopsis please? TIA!

Geauga's Child murder case to get new trial date

And if the trial date isn't Jan. 27th - please post that!

 

[iulia]

I can't seem to access this article, even with Outline - can someone give a 10% synopsis please? TIA!

Geauga's Child murder case to get new trial date

And if the trial date isn't Jan. 27th - please post that!

From your link:

Defendant Gail Eastwood-Ritchey’s attorney filed a motion Jan. 7 asking for the trial date to be continued due to a scheduling conflict with another case in federal court.

Geauga County Common Pleas Court Judge David M. Ondrey granted the continuance Jan. 9. Ondrey wrote that a news trial date will be set in a separate order. A trial management conference for the case is scheduled for Jan. 10.

Geauga's Child murder case to get new trial date

 

[Niner]

Thanks a bunch @iulia - much appreciated!

 

[iulia]

Thanks a bunch @iulia - much appreciated!

You’re welcome, anytime.

 

[Niner]

Friday, January 10th:
*Trial Management Conference Hearing (@ 2pm ET) – OH - Geauga’s Child (newborn) (Mar. 25, 1993) - *Gail M. Eastwood-Ritchey (49/23 @ time of crime) arrested (6/6/19), charged (6/7/19) & arraigned (6/10/19) with murder & aggravated murder. Plead not guilty. $250K bond. Bonded out 6/10/19; GPS monitor & surrendered passport.
Trial set to begin on 1/27/20.
6/10/19 Update: Arraignment hearing. Plead not guilty & bond set at $250K. 8/6/19: Pretrial hearing. Judge approved reporters request to broadcast-approved for WOIO, WKYC TV, FOX 8 & WEWS 5. 9/18/19 Motion to continued trial (10/28/19)-granted. Moved to 1/27/20. 10/21/19: Motion for change of venue. 12/3/19: Motion for change of venue is deferred until a voir dire in Geauga County is attempted. Next trial management conference hearing on 1/10/20. Had a Status call hearing 1/2/20 with lawyers & judge only. 1/6/20: Defense files motion for continuance of trial-granted on 1/9/20.

 

[Niner]

Can't access this article - was wondering if someone could give a 10% synopsis on this

Geauga's Child murder case to get new trial date

TIA!