From the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department:
The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department and the Kenosha County Medical Examiner’s Office today released new information about a 1989 John Doe case involving a newborn boy.
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. In 2016, Baby John Doe’s remains were exhumed to allow for collection of DNA evidence.
More recently, 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 re-opened 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.
The Racine County District Attorney’s Office concluded recently that charges in this case would not be filed. Further questions about that finding should be directed to the Racine County District Attorney’s Office.
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 in this release because charges were not filed.
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.
Under Wisconsin Statute § 48.195, a parent may leave an unharmed newborn (under 72 hours old) anonymously and without fear of prosecution in a newborn safety device as defined in the statute, or with a law enforcement officer, emergency medical services practitioner, or hospital staff member — without fear of legal consequences. More information from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families is available at https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/cps/safehaven.
Any parent or caregiver in distress may also contact the Kenosha County Crisis Line, available 24/7 at 262-657-7188.
Anyone who has any further information about the 1989 Baby John Doe incident and investigation is encouraged to contact Kenosha County Sheriff’s Lt. Neil Paulsen or Detective Jason Sielski at 262-605-5102.
