A woman in Iowa has been charged with killing her baby 32 years ago.
On December 21, 1992, police were notified that the body of a baby had been found at the Iowa City Landfill. The city's police department and the state's Division of Criminal Investigation opened an investigation into the child's death.
Police dubbed the child "Baby John Doe," according to KCRG.
Investigators at the time were unable to determine much about the child's birth conditions or how he died, with DNA technology still limited.
But times have changed, and technology has improved significantly. Thanks to those advances, police reopened Baby John Doe's case in October 2020.
Now investigators believe they've determined who gave birth to Baby John Doe.
According to police, Cindy Sue Elder, previously known as Cindy Sue Eckrich, 58, is the child’s mother. She would have been 26-years-old when she gave birth.
Elder spoke with investigators in February 2022 at her home in Clever, Missouri, telling them that she gave birth while living in an Iowa City home.
According to a criminal complaint, Elder told investigators that the baby had been alive when he was born and that she "did something" to quiet his cries. She allegedly admitted to police that she put the baby in a plastic bag before placing him in a trash can near her father’s home in Coralville.
Elder reportedly also told investigators that she never wanted to be pregnant and that she hid the pregnancy, including from the baby's father. She said she never received prenatal care and tried to induce a miscarriage by punching herself in the stomach.
The father of the child told police that he was unaware that Elder was pregnant and did not know she had given birth.
Elder has been charged with one count of first degree murder, and was booked into the Christian County jail on Tuesday.
“This case exemplifies our commitment to crime victims, especially ones so vulnerable,” Iowa City Police Chief Dustin Liston said. “I am grateful for the dedication, partnerships, and technological advances that have made this arrest possible.”
