Death Of Newborn Found On Blaine Roadside In 1983 Solved Through DNA After 42 Years

BLAINE, MN — A 42-year-old cold case involving a newborn found dead along a Blaine roadside has been solved through forensic genealogy, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday. Prosecutors declined to file charges.

The infant, known publicly for decades as Rachel Marie Doe, was discovered Jan. 21, 1983, on Main Street between Highway 65 and Radisson Road.

The baby girl was found with the placenta still attached, and investigators at the time were unable to determine whether she had been born alive. A community funeral was later held, and she was buried in a local church cemetery.

Sheriff Brad Wise said the case has weighed heavily on the community for more than four decades.

"After 42 years, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office’s Cold Case Unit has successfully identified the parents of this child, whose story weighed heavily on the hearts of the community back in 1983, as well as today," Wise said in the announcement.

"We are proud to give all who were affected by this story some closure."

Breakthrough Through DNA

As part of the county’s Cold Case Unit launch in 2024, investigators sent preserved biological evidence, specifically samples from the baby’s umbilical cord, to Othram, a forensic genetic genealogy lab.

Funding came from the federal Sexual Assault Kit Initiative’s National Cold Case Initiative.

The testing identified possible maternal and paternal relatives, giving detectives new leads.

Those leads brought investigators to the baby’s mother, who confirmed her connection to the child during an interview in July 2025.

According to the mother, she was a teenager in 1983 and gave birth alone at her parents’ home. She told detectives the baby was unresponsive at birth and she believed it was stillborn.

In panic, she placed the infant on the roadside hoping someone would find her.

She told no one about the pregnancy for more than four decades.

Detectives later located the father, who had no knowledge of the pregnancy or the child. Investigators also interviewed people who knew the parents at the time.

None had known about the pregnancy.

A modern review of the 1983 autopsy by a current forensic pathologist reached the same conclusion as the original examination — it could not be determined whether the baby was stillborn or born alive.

No Charges Filed

The case was submitted to the Anoka County Attorney’s Office to determine whether any charges applicable under 1983 law could be filed.

Prosecutors declined, citing a lack of evidence that a homicide occurred and noting that any possible statute of limitations on disposing of human remains has long expired.

The parents’ identities are not being released publicly.

“The evidence and the interests of justice do not support the filing of any criminal charges in this case, and we respect this family’s privacy now that our work is done,” Anoka County Attorney Brad Johnson said.

Decades Of Work

The Blaine community was deeply affected by the case in 1983 and has continued to remember the child, Blaine Police Chief Brian Podany said.

“We are fortunate for the advancements in technology as well as the continuing efforts of law enforcement in bringing this case to a closure,” Podany said. “Our hearts remain with Baby Rachel Doe and all those affected by this case.”

The Anoka County Sheriff’s Cold Case Unit continues to evaluate unsolved violent crimes, re-test evidence, and seek tips from the public.

Anyone with information about cold cases can contact ACSOColdCases@anokacountymn.gov.