By: Richard L. Smith
In a significant breakthrough, Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll reported that a juvenile delinquency complaint has been filed in connection with the tragic death of "Baby Mary," a newborn abandoned in Mendham Township back in December 1984.
On Christmas Eve of that year, two young boys stumbled upon the lifeless body of a newborn baby girl wrapped in a towel and placed inside a plastic bag in a remote wooded area off Mt. Pleasant Road.
The baby's umbilical cord was still attached at the time of discovery, and subsequent examination by the Medical Examiner determined that she had been alive during her birth, classifying her death as a homicide.
Over nearly four decades, law enforcement tirelessly pursued leads to uncover the identity of Baby Mary and the circumstances surrounding her tragic fate.
Recent technological advancements, inter-state collaboration, and dedicated police work finally led to the identification of Baby Mary's biological parents.
The biological father, who passed away before his identification, displayed no evidence of knowledge about the pregnancy, Baby Mary's birth, or her untimely demise.
However, the biological mother, who was a juvenile at the time of her daughter's birth in 1984, now faces a juvenile delinquency complaint.
She has been charged with Manslaughter, an offense that would be a second-degree crime if committed by an adult.
Due to her status as a juvenile at the time of Baby Mary's death and the filing of a juvenile delinquency complaint, the mother's identity will remain undisclosed.
Prosecutor Carroll commended the tireless efforts of multiple generations of law enforcement agencies, including the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, the Morris County Sheriff's Office, and the Mendham Township Police Department.
He expressed that this arrest, while decades in the making, signifies justice.
