FERDINAND — After nearly 39 years of mystery, the Dubois County Prosecutor’s Office has announced a major breakthrough in the 1987 cold case involving an infant found deceased at the Monastery Immaculate Conception.
Investigators have officially identified the infant, long known to the community only as “Baby Doe,” and filed criminal charges against his biological mother. The development comes as a result of a decades-long pursuit of justice led by the Indiana State Police Cold Case Unit.
The infant was discovered on the grounds of the Ferdinand monastery in 1987. For decades, the case remained cold as local authorities were unable to identify the child or his parents.
The breakthrough finally arrived through advanced DNA technology and investigative genealogy—the same methods recently used to solve high-profile cold cases across the country. By building a genealogical profile from the infant’s DNA, investigators were able to trace biological relatives and eventually identify the mother.
In late 2025, Dubois County Prosecutor Beth Schroeder formally filed charges of murder and voluntary manslaughter against the biological mother.
While the charges are severe, the case presents unique legal and ethical complexities:
- The mother was a minor at the time of the infant’s death in 1987.
- Due to the defendant’s age at the time of the incident and ongoing legal considerations, the names of both the mother and the infant are currently being withheld from the public.
- Officials noted that the pregnancy was unintended and occurred while the mother was a teenager in crisis.
Prosecutor Beth Schroeder emphasized that while accountability is necessary, the state is approaching the case with a balanced perspective.
“Justice and compassion can walk hand in hand. Our responsibility is not only to pursue accountability, but also to recognize the difficult realities that may have led to this tragedy,” said Dubois County Prosecutor Beth Schroeder.
The identification allows the child to finally be remembered by the community with his true identity and dignity, closing a chapter that has haunted Ferdinand residents for generations.
The case is currently pending in the Dubois County court system. Because the defendant was a juvenile at the time of the crime, legal proceedings may follow specific protocols for historic juvenile cases.
