In December 1993, an investigation in Harrison County was opened when a the body of a newborn baby was found in Gulfport. On October 11th, 2024, nearly 31 years later, the case has finally been solved.
According to a press release from Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, the tragically deceased body of a newborn baby was found on December 21, 1993. The body was found on I-10 in Gulfport, near the Lorraine Road exit.
The autopsy of the body determined that the baby had passed due to blood loss and exposure, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. The baby was given the name ‘Mary Josephine,’ and she was given a proper burial at Floral Hills Memorial Garden.
As the law enforcement officers were unable to identify the baby’s mother, the case went cold until December 2023, Sheriff Matt Haley said.
The Harrison County Criminal Investigations Division, along with the Harrison County District Attorney’s Office, was granted a court order that allowed the body of Mary Josephine to be exhumed. The court order was granted on December 7, 2023, in order to be able to identify her. DNA and forensic genetic genealogy was performed by a DNA/Genealogy company in Houston, Texas, called Othram Inc.
The results from the testing were obtained on October 10, 2024. The testing identified several of baby Mary Josephine’s relatives, with whom interviews were conducted. The interviews led investigators to determine who Mary Josephine’s possible mother was. The investigators obtained a search warrant for a DNA comparison.
Investigators attempted to make contact with Mary Josephine’s mother on October 11, but were unsuccessful. At this point, entry was made into the residence of the woman, and she was found deceased due to what investigators determined was a suicide. A letter found inside the residence claimed that the woman was baby Mary Josephine’s mother.
The officers with Harrison County Sheriff’s Department acknowledged the tremendous effort and cooperation it took to solve the cold case. The Department acknowledged the contributions from Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Home, Coroner Brian Switzer, Floral Hills Memorial Garden Cemetery, Harrison County District Attorney’s Office, MS State Medical Examiner’s Office, Gautier Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Othram Inc., and thanked them for their cooperation in the case.
