KENOSHA, Wis. - The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department and the Kenosha County Medical Examiner’s Office released new information on Thursday, Oct. 3 about a 1989 John Doe case involving a newborn boy.
A news release says on Nov. 9, 1989, the newborn was found deceased beneath the bridge over the Des Plaines River on Highway N in the Town of Paris. At that time, identification of the boy and that of his next of kin were unable to be established. Named "Baby John Doe," he was buried in St. John’s Cemetery in the Town of Randall.
In 2015, this cold case was reopened when new information became available, and a person of interest was developed, officials said. In 2016, Baby John Doe’s remains were exhumed to allow for collection of DNA evidence.
In August 2022, a DNA match confirmed the identity of Baby John Doe’s next of kin. The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case and treated it as a homicide investigation. After the case was reopened and the investigation was finalized, the case was referred to the Racine County District Attorney’s Office for charging. This was due to an identified conflict of interest with the Kenosha County office.
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The Racine County District Attorney’s Office recently concluded that charges in this case would not be filed.
The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department has now closed this case pending any further leads and developments. The next of kin is not being identified because charges were not filed.
Help for those in need
The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department and the Medical Examiner’s Office would like to remind the community that resources are available for parents in distress. Safe Haven, also known as "newborn relinquishment," allows a parent to leave a newborn in a safe place in certain circumstances with certain individuals.
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Any parent or caregiver in distress may also contact the Kenosha County Crisis Line, available 24/7 at 262-657-7188.