By: Richard L. Smith
South Carolina resident Mary Catherine Crumlich, has been sentenced in connection with the tragic 1984 case of "Baby Mary," an infant girl found deceased in Mendham Township, New Jersey, according to Morris County officials.
Nearly 40 years after the incident, advancements in DNA technology and extensive multi-state police efforts have culminated in justice for the long-unsolved case.
On April 3, Mary Catherine Crumlich, originally known as Mary Snyder at the time of the incident, was sentenced to probation with a condition of 364 days in the Morris County Correctional Facility by Superior Court Judge Michael P. Wright in Morristown.
Although the crime occurred when she was 17, Crumlich was adjudicated as a minor.
The case began on Christmas Eve in 1984 when two boys discovered the body of a newborn in a remote wooded area off Mt. Pleasant Road, Mendham Township.
The baby girl, found wrapped in a towel and placed in a plastic bag, still had her umbilical cord attached.
The Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide after determining she was alive at birth.
Mendham Township Police Department’s chaplain, Reverend Michael Drury, baptized the infant posthumously as Mary, and she was interred at St. Joseph’s Church in Mendham Township.
The breakthrough came as forensic DNA advancements allowed authorities to link Crumlich to the abandoned infant.
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll highlighted the relentless pursuit of justice across generations of law enforcement, which included both modern and traditional investigative techniques.
Morris County Sheriff James Gannon and Mendham Township Police Chief Ross Johnson praised the collaborative efforts of local law enforcement, the Morris County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division (CSI) Section, and Crime Lab Section, alongside federal agencies including the FBI.
Their joint work over the decades finally led to a resolution in this poignant case.
The comprehensive investigation revealed that the father of Baby Mary had passed away before he could be identified, with no indications that he was aware of the birth or the tragic outcome.
"This case has deeply affected our community, and while justice might not take the form initially envisioned, the conclusion of this case should bring some measure of closure to Mendham and Morris County," said Prosecutor Carroll, acknowledging the broad impact of the case and the collective relief that its resolution brings.