BRIGHTON, Colo. — Nearly 20 years after a newborn was found dead outside a Brighton business the Weld County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) is asking for the public's help identifying the child and any living relatives.
The infant boy, known as Baby John Doe, was found deceased on Sept. 11 2002 outside of L&M Auto Repair in Brighton, according to WCSO. Employees were just arriving at work that morning when a staff member spotted something under a bush, the sheriff's office said.
The newborn had been wrapped in a blue blanket with the words “Skate Bear” and a corresponding graphic. There were no other clues left at the scene indicating anything about the newborn or the circumstances of his death.
Baby John Doe
Investigators described the baby as having dark hair and ancestry was estimated to be potentially white, Latino and/or Italian, the sheriff's office said.
The newborn weighed about 7 pounds and was 21 inches long at his time of death. Pathologists determined he had been born healthy between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. the evening before he was found but were unable to definitively establish a cause of death.
Baby John Doe is one of four unsolved Doe cases under investigation by the WCSO Investigations Unit. The agency is receiving support on three of those cases from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The sheriff’s office decided this year to team with Othram Inc., a private DNA lab, to identify Baby John Doe or a living relative through a specialized type of DNA extraction and analysis.
Othram is working to begin to build a comprehensive genealogical profile for the newborn, which costs $5,000.
WCSO has contributed funds to cover a portion of the costs of DNA testing and genealogical research and a DNASolves.com crowdfunding account has been created to raise funds for the remaining casework costs.
Anyone with information about Baby John Doe is encouraged to contact Cold Case Det. Byron Kastilahn at 970-356-4015 and reference case number WC02-4535.
Anyone with information regarding this or any other crime is asked to call the Weld County Sheriff’s Office at (970) 356-4015 or Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at www.NoCoCrimeStoppers.com. Those submitting tips through Crime Stoppers that lead to the arrest and filing of charges on a suspect(s) may be eligible for a cash reward.
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