Murder, Manslaughter Charges Filed in 38-Year Dubois County Baby Doe Case

Charges of murder and voluntary manslaughter have been filed in a 38-year-old Dubois County cold case after investigators used modern DNA technology and investigative genealogy to identify an infant long known locally as “Baby Doe.”

The newborn’s remains were discovered April 12, 1987, inside a plastic shopping bag in a janitorial closet at the Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand. For decades the case remained unresolved; investigators continued to focus on the cause of death even as the child became a fixture of local memory.

Dubois County Prosecutor Beth Schroeder announced that the prosecutor’s office filed the charges against the infant’s biological mother, who was a juvenile at the time of the 1987 incident. Prosecutor Schroeder said, “This has always been about honoring the life of a child who could not speak for himself.” She also credited scientific advances and investigative work for the development in the case: “Thanks to science and the perseverance of the Indiana State Police Cold Case Unit, we are able to close one chapter of this case while remembering the human circumstances surrounding it.”

Local reports differ slightly on precise timing. Several outlets report that the office filed charges in late 2025, while other reports mark a recent breakthrough tied to February reporting. Those discrepancies mean court docket entries and the Dubois County Prosecutor’s Office press release are the best sources to confirm exact filing and announcement dates.

Officials have withheld the defendant’s name and other details, citing privacy and legal considerations. Prosecutors and local outlets have emphasized approaching the matter with sensitivity and compassion, noting that the pregnancy was unintended and that the defendant was a minor in crisis at the time. The case remains pending in Dubois County court.

The Indiana State Police Cold Case Unit is credited with the genealogy and DNA work that led to identification, underscoring how advances in forensic science can reopen decades-old investigations. For Ferdinand residents, the case closes a long-standing mystery while reopening painful memories associated with the monastery discovery and with questions about how the community and its institutions responded in 1987.

For local readers, the development has immediate consequences. The pending prosecution will move through the Dubois County court system, and public records there will provide the formal timeline and docket entries. Prosecutors have indicated they will balance pursuit of accountability with recognition of the difficult realities involved in a case that touches both a deceased infant and an accused who was a juvenile at the time.

What comes next is a court process that will clarify dates, charges, and any publicly releasable findings about cause of death. Residents seeking clarity should look to official filings and statements from the Dubois County Prosecutor’s Office and the court docket; in the meantime, the announcement serves as a reminder of how forensic breakthroughs can reshape long-settled local histories and the importance of measured, compassionate public conversation as the legal process unfolds.