Woman Who Killed Newborn Baby In 1986 In Greenwich Avoids Jail Time: Reports

GREENWICH, CT — Janita Phillips, the former Greenwich resident who killed her newborn baby and put him in a dumpster in 1986, has avoided jail time, according to media reports.

Phillips, 65, of Lake Mary, Fla., was originally charged with murder after her arrest in 2021.

She pleaded guilty in April of this year to first-degree manslaughter in exchange for a fully suspended 20-year sentence and five years of probation after a psychiatric evaluation found Phillips "acted under extreme emotional distress," Greenwich Time reported.

If she violates her probation, she could face up to 20 years in prison.

During her sentencing on Tuesday, Phillips addressed the court and said she had "a deep sense of regret and humility," adding that she takes "full responsibility" for her actions, Greenwich Time said.

CBS News reported that Judge Gary White in Stamford said the case deserved "mercy."

On May 16, 1986, a newborn baby boy was found dead inside a garbage truck that had just emptied a dumpster at the apartment building located at 27 Havemeyer Place in Greenwich, where Phillips lived at the time, according to police.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was strangulation, and ruled the case a homicide.

Phillips hid the pregnancy from her family and friends, police said. She and her husband moved to Florida shortly after the baby's death.

Police collected several pieces of evidence at the scene in 1986, including items soaked with blood, police said after Phillips' arrest.

Interviews were conducted with residents at the apartment building, including Phillips, who was a "person of interest," according to police, but as the years wore on, detectives were unable to positively identify the killer.

In 2020, police said investigators in the Greenwich Police Department Cold Case Unit deployed newly available forensic testing to try and link physical evidence found at the scene to the mother of the baby.

With the help of authorities in Florida, investigators confirmed the identity of the mother as Phillips, police said.

In September 2021, GPD detectives went to Florida, and with the assistance of detectives from the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, interviewed Phillips; she confirmed that she was the mother and caused the death of the baby.

"She indicated she had several stressors going on in her life, and that she was not prepared to have more children," former GPD Deputy Chief Robert Berry said after Phillips' arrest.

On Nov. 19, 2021, Phillips surrendered to Greenwich Police Headquarters on a warrant that charged her with murder.

Read more from Greenwich Time