Woman charged in death of baby found in Minnesota lake in 2003, linked to infant found dead in Mississippi River in 1999
Investigators say they have arrested a mother and are charging her in the death of a baby who was found in Lake Pepin almost 20 years ago, CBS Minnesota reports. The charging documents allege Jennifer Matter was also the mother of another baby found in the Mississippi River in 1999.
Matter, 50, of Red Wing, was taken into custody Monday morning. She faces second-degree murder charges in the case of a baby boy discovered at the Methodist Campus Beach in Frontenac in December 2003.
Investigators say that another baby, a girl found in the Mississippi River's Lower Boat Harbor near Red Wing back in 1999, is also Matter's, as proven by genealogy work. The charges announced Monday do not involve that case, and further charges may be pending.
"Genetic genealogy and rapid DNA testing were both employed to develop a break in the case and then quickly confirm the identity of the babies' mother," said Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. "These kinds of scientific advances that can aid investigations are happening all the time. That is why it is so important to never give up on any unsolved case."
Both cases went unsolved for decades. Goodhue County Sheriff Marty Kelly said the first case happened over 8,000 days ago.
"The tenacity of several investigators in our office to obtain justice for these babies and the perseverance by our community who assisted us in finding answers have led us here today," Goodhue County Sheriff Marty Kelly said. "We pray today's arrest and charges provide some closure to all of those affected."
Last year, the Minnesota BCA Crime Lab was able to determine and identify the biological father of the infant found in 1999, and worked to establish that Matter was a person of interest. Investigators interviewed her in late April, and she denied knowing anything about either case. When they sampled her DNA sample on a search warrant last week, she again denied knowing about either baby.
On a third interview with investigators, Matter told them that back in 1999, she was "in and out of jail, drinking too much, doing a lot of stupid things," and that she didn't know she was pregnant until she started bleeding while on the way to drop off two other kids at school and daycare.
She said she then gave birth at home in her bathroom and "freaked out" when she saw the baby was born "blue, was not breathing, and was not crying." She said she knew she should've sought help but that "her mind was not there." She wrapped the baby and, possibly a day later, left the baby's body at Bay Point Park in the middle of the night.
She told investigators she didn't remember a second baby, but later said "it was in Frontenac," and said she was "almost positive" she was at a public beach alone when she went into labor. She was "trying to lay low because she had an arrest warrant and believed cops were looking for her." She said she didn't remember if the baby was crying, but said it was breathing fine.
She said she left the baby on the beach before driving away, and said she did not have a plan about leaving the baby in a safe place, but "hoped that someone in the nearby houses would find the baby."
She said during the 2003 pregnancy, she never intended to keep the baby and considered giving it up for adoption but otherwise had no plans, and did not receive neonatal care or tell anyone she was pregnant.
If convicted, Matter faces 40 years in prison.
