69-Year-Old Arrested After DNA Links Her to 1979 Whiteville Baby Doe

Cathy McKee, 69, was taken into custody on Tuesday afternoon and charged with felony concealing the birth of a child after investigators say DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy identified her as the mother of a newborn whose body was found in a trash bag at the Columbus County landfill in 1979.

The affidavit in the case lists Jan. 11, 1979, as the offense date and law enforcement records describe the victim as a newborn girl discovered at the county landfill that year. Investigators say original deputies collected and preserved evidence at the scene, and those preserved materials were later available for modern testing.

Detectives with the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office formally reopened the file more than a year before the arrest and worked alongside the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Coastal District and the SBI Cold Case Unit to re-examine the preserved evidence. Investigators credit advances in DNA technology and genetic genealogy with producing the lead that identified McKee as the infant’s biological mother, and the sheriff’s office released a booking photo attributed to the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Rogers praised the work of the original deputies and the recent investigative team, saying, “What those original investigators did in 1979 would ultimately make today possible.” Rogers added, “Because of the compassion and foresight of those original deputies who preserved the evidence so carefully, and because of the determination of our detectives and SBI partners who have worked tirelessly on this investigation for more than a year, we are finally able to give this child what she deserved all along the truth.” He also said, “This case shows that in Columbus County, time does not erase responsibility.”

Court records show McKee’s bond was initially set at $20,000 and was reduced to $5,000 at her first appearance; she posted bond and waived her right to counsel. Prosecutors have filed only the single charge of concealing the birth of a child in connection with the 1979 incident; no homicide or murder charges were listed in the available court papers and law enforcement statements do not disclose how the infant died.

Officials have not named a genetic genealogy vendor or released laboratory reports detailing the DNA work, and the sheriff’s office has not issued a press release with a full timeline or the sheriff’s first name. Investigators continue to review evidence and court documents, and court dockets and SBI statements are expected to clarify whether additional charges, a case number, or a formal victim identifier such as “Whiteville Baby Doe” will be used going forward.