IL - Baby found dead in duffel bag on suburban road, Wheaton, 15 August 2016

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:sigh: I was looking for updates on the toddler found in the duffel bag from CA when this story popped up during my search. It's unfortunate when the 'best case scenario' is that this little one somehow ended up being placed in a duffel bag after a natural death during some kind of extremely misguided and unsuccessful attempt at a burial.

An autopsy was scheduled today after the body of a baby was found in Unincorporated Wheaton.

A resident spotted a suspicious duffel bag around 8 a.m. Monday on a private road with six houses (...)

Later in the day, two landscapers discovered the dead newborn with dark hair inside the bag.

(...)

The DuPage County Sheriff's Office is asking the public for help to identify the baby and the parents. The gender and exact age of the baby is unknown at this time.
http://wgntv.com/2016/08/16/autopsy-scheduled-for-baby-found-dead-in-duffel-bag-near-wheaton/
 
The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in tracking down the mother of a baby whose body was found on Plamondon Road near Wheaton on Monday.

The sheriff’s office issued the following statement Tuesday afternoon:
The Sheriff’s Office is concerned for the health and well-being of the mother. This mother may possibly be in need of medical care and other support. We realize there are unforeseen circumstances that can lead to these types of incidents and at this time care for the mother is paramount.


The sheriff's office did not provide any more details on why, in particular, they were concerned about the safety of the baby's mother.

Meanwhile, preliminary results of an autopsy performed Tuesday for the child "are pending further investigation," (...)
http://patch.com/illinois/wheaton/infants-remains-found-near-wheaton
 
DuPage County authorities are continuing to press the public for assistance in locating the mother of a newborn baby girl found dead Monday along a private drive near Wheaton.

Authorities are reaching out to anyone who may be aware of a woman who had been pregnant and disappeared or who may have indicated her newborn baby had died.

The DuPage County sheriff's department is calling the girl "Baby Hope," because of its high hopes of identifying her.

(...) The full-term baby was wrapped in a backpack, police said. Authorities also recovered a brown bathroom rug and a brown toilet seat cover near the girl, who police said was of Caucasian, Hispanic or Asian descent.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/subur...ad-baby-found-update-0820-20160819-story.html
 
PLEASE SHARE
UPDATE ~ Baby Hope Needs Your Help!

Yesterday the Sheriff’s Office provided an important update related to our ongoing death investigation of a new born baby girl who was found along a private drive in unincorporated Wheaton on Monday August 15th.

Today we have the highest hope we will learn who this baby is and who she belongs to, which is why we’ve decided to name our newborn . . . .Baby Hope

Hope had no choice in what happened to her and the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office continues to use every resource at our disposal to determine what occurred.

If you were traveling along Plamondon Road in Unincorporated Wheaton on Sunday Night August 14th, between 9pm and 11pm, we would like to hear from you.

We also would like to speak with anyone who may know of an expecting mother who appears to have lost their child or may have simply disappeared herself.

We would also like to take this opportunity to remind the public of the Newborn Infant Protection Act, also known as Safe Haven. This law allows newborn babies to be turned over to personnel at a police station, fire station, or hospital without repercussions. The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office is a safe haven location.

Sheriff Zaruba is asking our citizens, religious and community leaders, and support groups to help us help Baby Hope by continuing to share and talk about this case.

Please encourage anyone with information to contact the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office at (630) 407-2400 or text us anonymously at 274637 with the word SHERIFF and your message.

https://www.facebook.com/dupagesheriff/videos/vb.133570666673451/1212744638756043/?type=3&theater
 

quoted from above:
... the girl, who police said was of Caucasian, Hispanic or Asian descent.

Isn't this usually apparent from the bone structure? Or are the facial bones not developed enough in newborn babies?

How long had she been lying there I wonder. A more definite timeline might help people thinking back to when they might have seen a pregnant woman who subsequently remained childless.
 
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A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the identity or location of the mother of a newborn baby whose body was discovered last month near Wheaton, the DuPage County sheriff's office said Thursday.

(...)

An autopsy was conducted last month, but a determination about the cause of death is pending, the DuPage County coroner's office said Thursday.

The sheriff's office is calling the girl "Baby Hope" because of its high hopes of identifying her. The $5,000 reward is being offered by the sheriff's office and the Illinois Crime Commission.

The sheriff's office also released new images of the Everest backpack in which the baby was found.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/wheaton/news/ct-wheaton-baby-reward-0909-20160908-story.html
 

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The DuPage County officials working to solve the case of a dead newborn paused Thursday to commemorate her short life at a graveside ceremony in Wheaton.

A contingent of about 40 people, mostly members of law enforcement headed by Sheriff John Zaruba, offered prayers at St. Michael Cemetery for the as-yet unidentified infant whose body was found in a backpack on a nearby wooded private drive last month.

The officers stood at attention as the Rev. Daniel Hoehn of St. Michael Catholic Church in Wheaton offered prayers for the child, whom police dubbed "Baby Hope," and who, the priest said, "brought joy for so short a time."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/subur...age-baby-hope-burial-0923-20160922-story.html
 
New information in the Baby Hope investigation will be revealed Thursday morning during a news conference in Wheaton, authorities said Monday.

The DuPage County sheriff's office says it will release new DNA-related information related to the possible identities of Baby Hope's parents at 10 a.m. at the DuPage County Courthouse, 501 N. County Farm Road.
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161017/news/161018902/
 
http://www.fox4news.com/news/212904612-story

link has a composite of what the parents may look like. My computer/internet are not working with me to let me post their pictures here.

I gotcha.

attachment.php



Also from the above link (thanks Ladylub):

"....The newborn was found dead inside a backpack in unincorporated Wheaton in mid-August. Nearby, investigators found a toilet seat cover and a bathroom rug.

On Thursday, police displayed what are called snapshot composites, showing what the infant's parents may have looked like.

“It is important to note that snapshot composites are scientific approximations of appearance based on DNA and are not likely to be exact replicas of appearance,” Christiansen said.

Factors like smoking, drinking and eating habits can alter the appearance, as could the existence of facial hair or different hairstyles. DNA can't display age or body size, so averages were used for both. The composites were created at a Virginia-based lab through a process called DNA phenotyping.

Investigators say the DNA shows that the parents are Latinos. Toxicology results show the mother was using a prescription drug called Lamotrigine, commonly prescribed for epilepsy, bipolar or sleep disorders."
 

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Were any autopsy results released? They should tell if the baby was born alive and/or cause of death.
Maybe they will be able to backtrack on the prescription drug and using the composites, find to whom it was prescribed?
 
New details released in case of ‘Baby Hope’ found in backpack

DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. — DuPage County officials are hoping new information may help the case of “Baby Hope” — the unidentified infant whose body was found last summer in a wooded area near Wheaton.

[...]

Monday, officials released information regarding the items found at the scene.

Pollen testing suggests the items “spent a significant amount of time in an urban area of Northern Illinois,” a statement from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office said.

“Testing also indicates that the items possibly originated in the Southwest United States before coming to Illinois.”

Authorities also released pictures of the backpack, along with a brown bathmat and toilet seat cover found inside the backpack.
783cce09f10ca452bb170d4954a40aee.jpg

Last fall, investigators have released composite sketches.
e655df2f030c0c3aa9fb1f97f0db612c.jpg

The investigators say, based on DNA, both the mother and father of “Baby Hope” are of Latino ancestry.

Detectives also say, based on “Baby Hope’s” DNA, that they believe the mother was taking a medication called Lamotrigine, also called Lamictal. It is commonly used for treatment of epilepsy, seizures, bipolar disorder or sleeping disorders.

NCMEC and the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office are asking anyone with information to please call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

http://wgntv.com/2018/05/07/new-details-released-in-case-of-baby-hope-found-in-backpack/
More: https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/wheaton-baby-found-in-backpack-481964581.html?amp=y
 
A Baby Was Found in a Backpack in Illinois In 2016 — and Suspect Mom Is Only Known by Her DNA

August 07, 2019

"An unknown woman’s DNA profile has been indicted in connection with the death of Baby Hope, a newborn girl who was discovered dead in a backpack along a road in Wheaton, Illinois in 2016.

The indictment, which was announced Monday by the DuPage County State’s Attorney, alleges failure to report the death or disappearance of a child, a class 4 felony. The unknown woman was referred to as Jane Doe in the indictment.
Authorities were able to link her DNA profile to Baby Hope, WGNTV reports...

According to the Chicago Tribune, the three-year statute of limitations on the charge filed against Jane Doe was set to expire next month.

Landscapers found the backpack containing Baby Hope along Plamondon Road around 3 p.m. on August 15, 2016. The little girl was wrapped in a toilet cover and bathroom rug. Since then, investigators have been trying to figure out her identity, what happened to her, her cause of death as well as the identity of her parents...."

A Baby Was Found in a Backpack in Illinois In 2016 — and Suspect Mom Is Only Known by Her DNA
 
A Baby Was Found in a Backpack in Illinois In 2016 — and Suspect Mom Is Only Known by Her DNA

August 07, 2019

"An unknown woman’s DNA profile has been indicted in connection with the death of Baby Hope, a newborn girl who was discovered dead in a backpack along a road in Wheaton, Illinois in 2016.

The indictment, which was announced Monday by the DuPage County State’s Attorney, alleges failure to report the death or disappearance of a child, a class 4 felony. The unknown woman was referred to as Jane Doe in the indictment.
Authorities were able to link her DNA profile to Baby Hope, WGNTV reports...

According to the Chicago Tribune, the three-year statute of limitations on the charge filed against Jane Doe was set to expire next month.

Landscapers found the backpack containing Baby Hope along Plamondon Road around 3 p.m. on August 15, 2016. The little girl was wrapped in a toilet cover and bathroom rug. Since then, investigators have been trying to figure out her identity, what happened to her, her cause of death as well as the identity of her parents...."

A Baby Was Found in a Backpack in Illinois In 2016 — and Suspect Mom Is Only Known by Her DNA

Can someone please clarify...sorry I’m not understanding fully. I’m unable to access the news article here in the UK, also not sure about USA law.

Has a new charge been made against the unknown mother, Jane Doe, whose DNA is known, because the 3 year statute of limitations was due to expire?
 
Can someone please clarify...sorry I’m not understanding fully. I’m unable to access the news article here in the UK, also not sure about USA law.

Has a new charge been made against the unknown mother, Jane Doe, whose DNA is known, because the 3 year statute of limitations was due to expire?

There were no charges before, but because of the three-year statute of limitations expiring on 8/15/2016, (the date Baby Hope was found)- expiring this month, they charged the DNA profile now. If they didn't do this now, they could never charge the parent, when found, because of the expiration.

Here's another article that explains a little bit more:

In rare move, DuPage indicts DNA profile of unknown person suspected in death of ‘Baby Hope,’ infant found dead near Wheaton

AUG 05, 2019

"DuPage County prosecutors Monday announced the indictment of a DNA profile of a person suspected to be involved in the case of an infant known as Baby Hope, who was found dead in a backpack along a road near Wheaton three years ago.

The indictment alleges failure to report the death or disappearance of a child, a Class 4 felony. The person was identified in the complaint as a female named Jane Doe, but her true identity is unknown.

On Aug. 15, 2016, landscapers working along Plamondon Road in an unincorporated area near Wheaton found the dead, full-term newborn in a backpack along the roadside...

The indictment was prompted in part by the three-year statute of limitations on filing charges in the case, which expires this month, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said.

Indicting a DNA profile is rare but not unprecedented. DuPage County has indicted DNA profiles previously in burglary and sex assault cases where investigators had a DNA sample but did not know the identity of the perpetrator, Berlin said. While he did not know of an appellate ruling on indicting DNA profiles in Illinois, he said that courts in several other states have upheld the practice.

Last year, Wisconsin prosecutors reportedly filed a felony charge against the DNA profile of an unidentified person accused of threatening a judge. The DNA profile in that case was taken from the stamp on the letter which contained the alleged threat.

Illinois law provides that criminal charges must name the defendant, or state “any name or description by which he can be identified with reasonable certainty.” In this case, the indictment identifies the defendant as a parent, legal guardian or caretaker....

Berlin would not say from where exactly the DNA profile was obtained, whether from the child or from bodily residue where the baby was found....

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers opposes the practice of charging DNA profiles, arguing that it may take years before DNA may lead to an identification, and that errors in handling DNA evidence can lead to matches with innocent people."

In rare move, DuPage indicts DNA profile of unknown person suspected in death of ‘Baby Hope,’ infant found dead near Wheaton - Estados Unidos (EN)

2QXZJRN7YJBABMPT4ZDPKVXP64.jpg

(Members of the DuPage County sheriff's department and Wheaton police place flowers during a burial ceremony for Baby Hope at St. Michael's Cemetery in Wheaton on Sept. 22, 2016. Baby Hope, a newborn girl, was found dead near Wheaton on Aug. 15. [Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune])

WE5QPPHXW5GBXOCSVQVDKS57DA.jpg

(Erica Ruelas from Addison blows a kiss as she lays flowers on the casket during burial ceremony for Baby Hope at St. Michael's Cemetery in Wheaton on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016. Baby Hope, a newborn baby girl was found dead along a private drive near Wheaton on Aug. 15. [Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune])
 
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DuPage County Sheriff's Office
August 5 at 12:10 PM ·

"DuPage County Announces Indictment in Baby Hope Case

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick announced today the indictment of a DNA profile suspected to be involved in the case of “Baby Hope,” an infant who was found dead in a backpack on a roadside in unincorporated Wheaton.

On August 15, 2016, at approximately 3 p.m., men performing landscaping work reported finding the backpack with Baby Hope inside along Plamondon Road. The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation to not only identify the body but also determine what happened to her and how she got to where she was found. The investigation has remained active since that time and on August 1, 2019, a DuPage County Grand Jury indicted a Jane Doe, unknown female DNA profile alleging Failure to Report the Death or Disappearance of a Child, a Class 4 Felony...

“This has been an extremely tragic case but we have never stopped working to find closure for Baby Hope,” Mendrick said. “I have to take a moment to thank the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office Detectives who have worked so diligently on such an emotionally taxing case. This indictment is one step closer towards a resolution that may finally explain the circumstances of what happened. Our Office will continue to tirelessly work on this case until Baby Hope can finally rest in peace.”

Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contain only charges and is not proof of the defendant’s guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt...."

DuPage County Sheriff's Office
 

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