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Juvenile Delinquency Complaint Filed in 1984 "Baby Mary" Cold Case Resolved in Mendham Township
Nearly 40 Years After Tragic Discovery, Law Enforcement Officials in Morris County Make an Arrest, Offering Closure to a Community Long Haunted by the Unsolved Case.
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll and local law enforcement agencies announce a significant break in the 1984 cold case homicide of “Baby Mary,” with a juvenile delinquency complaint filed against the biological mother of the infant.
Who: Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, and Mendham Township Police Chief Ross Johnson have filed a juvenile delinquency complaint in connection to this cold case.
What: The biological mother of "Baby Mary," a newborn girl found dead in Mendham Township in 1984, has been charged with one count of Manslaughter.
When: The complaint was filed on April 24, 2023, after nearly four decades of investigation.
Where: The original incident took place in a remote wooded area off of Mt. Pleasant Road in Mendham Township, New Jersey.
Why: Law enforcement agencies have tirelessly pursued leads and utilized modern technology to finally identify the biological parents of Baby Mary, thereby leading to this complaint.
How: Through cross-state law enforcement collaboration and advances in forensic science, investigators were able to charge the biological mother, who was a juvenile at the time of Baby Mary's birth and death.
Detailed Account:
On Christmas Eve 1984, two boys discovered an abandoned and deceased newborn baby girl, wrapped in a towel and placed inside a plastic bag. The infant's umbilical cord was still attached, and the Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide. Named "Mary" by Rev. Michael Drury of St. Joseph Church, she has been interred at St. Joseph's Church ever since.
The biological father was identified but had passed away prior to the discovery. There is no evidence to suggest he was aware of the pregnancy, birth, or subsequent death of Baby Mary.
Prosecutor Carroll stated, “This arrest is the culmination of decades of effort, across multiple generations of law enforcement. Justice may not take the form the public has imagined, but we believe justice is being served for Baby Mary.”
Sheriff James Gannon added, “I want young parents to know that help is available. The Safe Haven Infant Protection Act became law in 2000, allowing parents to anonymously surrender a newborn at specific safe locations.”
Mendham Township Police Chief Ross Johnson commended the collective efforts, stating, "Today we are finally able to bring closure to this case and the community that has supported her."
Residents with additional information are encouraged to contact the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 973-285-6192, the Mendham Township Police Department at 973-455-1700, or Morris County Sheriff’s CrimeStoppers at 973-267-2255.
