Beth Schroeder Issues Statement After Guilty Plea Closes 1987 Baby Doe Case

Dubois County Prosecutor Beth Schroeder issued a detailed public statement on March 5, 2026, after criminal charges and a guilty plea were entered this week in the 1987 Ferdinand cold case long known locally as "Baby Doe." The mother’s guilty plea was accepted in Dubois Circuit Court before Acting Judge Karen Werner, and the court record notes she "has been sentenced according to the plea agreement" and that the case is now closed.

In the statement released March 5, Schroeder wrote, "Recently, I issued a press release announcing that I had filed charges in the 1987 'Baby Doe' cold case from Ferdinand. This serves as an update to that story." The prosecutor emphasized the personal and public weight of the matter, saying, "This mother has carried this secret for nearly 40 years. She will continue to live with it, along with the public scrutiny that has emerged in the court of public opinion."

Schroeder explained the office’s reasoning for the terms of the plea in language included in her statement: "Incarcerating the mother four decades later would not have achieved the justice some have called for. As part of the agreement, she is required to complete mental health treatment during her probationary period. I am hopeful that this outcome provides answers to the public, accountability under the law, and an opportunity for rehabilitation and treatment for the mother." Those treatment requirements are explicitly part of the plea agreement accepted in Dubois Circuit Court.

Public records and the prosecutor’s statement provided in court filings do not include the mother’s name in the excerpts released publicly, nor do they list the specific statute or statutory degree to which she pleaded guilty. The exact calendar date of the plea acceptance beyond the week of March 5, 2026, and additional sentencing particulars - such as length of probation, any fines or restitution, or whether any terms are sealed - were not included in the materials released with Schroeder’s statement.

Separately, courthouse dockets in Dubois County have seen other guilty pleas in recent years. In Dubois Superior Court on April 15, 2025, Gerald S. Carman, 49, of Ferdinand pled guilty to Dealing in Methamphetamine, a Level 2 felony, under an agreement that capped an executed sentence at no more than 15 years at the Indiana Department of Correction; his case was filed in 2021 and he was extradited from California in August 2024. On June 23, 2025, Brandon Bullock, 40, of Dale entered a fixed plea to Dealing in Methamphetamine, a Level 4 felony, calling for an 8-year sentence with the first 5 years at IDOC and the remaining 3 years on home detention with GPS; Hon. Anthony Quinn accepted that plea and sentenced Bullock on July 21, 2025. Other 2025 pleas include Robert A. Rasche, 41, of Dubois, and Jason M. Keller, 42, of Stendal, each agreeing to Level 2 felony pleas that limited executed sentences to no more than 15 years under their plea deals.

A separate criminal matter involving a younger defendant was also processed in the county: 19-year-old Denis Clark-Espinal pled guilty on December 16 to charges listed as Possession of Child Pornography, Intimidation, Child Exploitation, Child Molesting, and Battery on a Person Less Than 14 Years of Age after being arrested following a police tip alleging an inappropriate relationship with a juvenile. That case is not connected to the 1987 Ferdinand cold case.

As of March 5, 2026, the publicly released statement and the court acceptance before Acting Judge Karen Werner close the Baby Doe docket in Dubois Circuit Court under the terms described by Prosecutor Schroeder, while key verification points remain for court clerks and the prosecutor’s office to clarify - specifically the mother’s identity, the exact charges filed, and the full sentencing terms beyond the mandated mental health treatment.