WATERBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – The Vermont State Police announced Wednesday that they have resolved a 42-year-old investigation into the death of a newborn child found in Northfield and that no charges will be filed.
It began on April 1, 1982, when children waiting for a school bus on Mill Hill Road — now known as Gillespie Road — found a dead infant just off the road. Police determined the body was of a recently born, full-term male infant. Although there were signs of existing medical conditions, the medical examiner was unable to determine if they were the cause of death.
In 2021, using DNA evidence, police say they were able to put together a lead on the child’s parents, a couple with ties to the Northfield area that were later located in Maine. After confirming the parents’ DNA, police say the couple agreed to provide statements.
Investigators say the father had left Vermont and had no knowledge of the pregnancy or birth. The mother claimed she did not know she was pregnant and lost consciousness during delivery, later finding that the baby had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and had died. While attempting to bury the child, she told investigators she became scared and abandoned the body.
Police say Washington County State’s Attorney Michelle Donnelly declined to pursue criminal charges and that the names of the child’s parents will not be released now that the case has been concluded.