BLAINE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Anoka County Sheriff's Office says DNA tests allowed them to close the case on a 42-year-old mystery involving the death of a baby in Blaine.
Baby found dead in Blaine
The backstory:
On Jan. 21, 1983, a baby girl, later known as Rachel Marie Doe, was found dead on the side of the road on Main Street between Highway 65 and Radisson Road in Blaine by a driver. Police say the baby was a newborn with her placenta still attached.
When the baby was found, deputies say the medical examiner was unable to determine if the baby had been born dead or alive. Despite the efforts of investigators, police were unable to identify the child's parents.
What we know:
The Anoka County Sheriff's Office says its investigators never gave up on the case. In 2024, detectives turned to Othram, a forensic genetic genealogy laboratory, to find leads using DNA from the baby's umbilical cord.
Using that information, deputies were able to identify and interview the suspected mother in July 2025.
Meeting the mother
What they're saying:
Speaking with detectives, deputies say the woman confirmed she was the mother of the baby. The mother said she had given birth to the baby as a teenager alone at her parents' home. She said the baby was unresponsive, and she believed it was stillborn. She said she left the baby on the side of the road while in a state of panic.
"She had not told anyone about the pregnancy or what happened to the baby until meeting with detectives," the sheriff's office writes. "The father was subsequently spoken with, and he was unaware of the baby’s existence. Individuals close to the mother and father at the time of, and after the pregnancy, were spoken to. None of those interviewed had any knowledge of the mother’s pregnancy or baby’s birth."
Potential charges:
After reopening the case, deputies had the Midwest Medical Examiner take a renewed look at the autopsy results from 1983. However, the current pathologist reached the same conclusion as in 1983, that they could not be sure if the baby was stillborn or a live birth.
The case was ultimately submitted to the Anoka County Attorney for consideration of charges. Deputies say because they couldn't determine how the baby had died – and the statute of limitations had expired for disposal of human remains crimes – the attorney's office declined to file charges.
"Top prosecutors in our office reviewed this case for potential charges. The evidence and the interests of justice do not support the filing of any criminal charges in this case, and we respect this family’s privacy now that our work is done. We appreciate all the care and attention that the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office have given to this case and to answer the questions that surrounded the discovery of this child," wrote Anoka County Attorney Brad Johnson in a provided statement.
What you can do:
The Anoka County Sheriff's Office says its Cold Case Homicide Unit routinely reviews its unsolved cases. Anyone with information on an unsolved case can contact ACSOColdCases@anokacountymn.gov.