Latest news with #Baechle
New York Post
25-04-2025
- New York Post
Mother arrested in 14-year-old cold case of ‘Baby Angel' infant found dead in Mississippi River
A woman has been charged in the cold case of an infant found dead and floating in the Mississippi River 14 years ago after DNA testing revealed she was the mother of the newborn dubbed Baby Angel, according to officials. Jennifer Nichole Baechle, 43, was charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter for the death of the newborn, who was found floating in a bag on Sept. 5, 2011, in a section of the river near Winona, Minnesota, officials there announced Thursday. The newborn was wrapped in a green T-shirt, encased in two plastic garbage bags, and then placed inside a tote from a Mexican resort also containing a pendant, incense,and several angel figurines, leading to her being known as 'Baby Angel,' a criminal complaint obtained by the Winona Post noted. 3 Jennifer Nichole Baechle was charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter for the 14-year-old cold case of the death of her infant, found dead in a bag in the Mississippi River. Winona County Sheriff 'While her birth mother remained hidden, this community wrapped its arms around this little girl,' Winona County Sheriff Ron Ganrude said at a Thursday press conference. 'Ever since, they've waited in patience for answers that she deserved. We never gave up working to find those answers.' 'She deserved better than a watery grave, she deserved more than a life cut short.' Ganrude said. 3 'Baby Angel' was born a day or two before she died, an autopsy revealed. Minnesota-Wisconsin K9 Search and Rescue Baby Angel was born just a day or two before she died, a 2011 autopsy revealed. A 4-inch cord was attached to the baby and did not appear to be cut by a medical provider — and she had suffered several skull fractures, the autopsy said. 3 The baby was found with several angel figurines, dubbing her 'Baby Angel.' FOX 9 KMSP Multiple agencies investigated the baby's death, but there were no major developments until 2023, when a nonprofit genetic research company, Firebird Forensics Group, identified Baechle as a possible lead in the case. Baechle denied police requests for a DNA sample — but authorities were able to collect a used feminine hygiene product from the trash outside her home. The match was confirmed with additional testing a year later, with DNA found on the bag Baby Angel was found in also matching Baechles, the complaint said. Baechle's family said they did not have contact with her in 2011, and that she was living in a van — but knew she collected angel figurines and the pendant found with her baby, according to the document. If convicted, she faces four years in prison, cops said. She is currently held on an unconditional bail of $200,000 and a conditional bail of $20,000, pending her agreement not to leave the state and wear a GPS monitor after a judge determined her to be a flight risk.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Arrest in 'Baby Angel' case stuns those who know the Winona mother of 2
Apr. 24—WINONA, Minn. — The announcement of charges filed in Winona's "Baby Angel" cold case has stunned people familiar with the woman in custody. Jennifer Baechle, 43, a Winona mother of two and Winona State graduate known for supporting performing arts and volunteering at local music festivals and fundraisers, faces two counts of second-degree manslaughter related to the death of an infant in 2011. She was arrested on Thursday morning. The charges were announced Thursday, April 24, 2025. Baechle is a longtime resident of Winona and a graduate of WSU. She has been married since 2016, has two children and is involved in the community, volunteering her time with nonprofits, including cooking for a church fundraiser for the Winona Immigration Network, people who know Baechle said. Retired Winona County Sheriff Dave Brand, who led the initial investigation into the infant's death, said it isn't the profile of a suspect he expected. "I'm kind of surprised, and I'm wondering why she had to do what she did, you know, and now she's got a couple of kids," he said. Baechle is accused of placing her newborn baby in a tote bag along with angel figurines and ornaments, incense and other items and placing the bag in the Mississippi River in 2011. More than 150 Winona-area community members attended a funeral for the infant shortly after she was found in September 2011. Community donations funded a grave marker and a bank account Brand opened continues to fund the ongoing efforts to maintain the grave and provide fresh flowers for the marker. "For more than 13 years, Baby Angel's tragic death has weighed heavily on the hearts of this community," said Winona County Sheriff Ron Ganrude. "We are grateful to be able to provide answers for this community and for Baby Angel." Baechle had also been an adjunct faculty member at Winona State University, where she graduated. She was teaching a class in the English department for spring semester 2025. On Thursday, the university announced Baechle was replaced by another faculty member who will teach the course for the remainder of the semester, according to a statement from WSU. "This is a shock to the Winona State University community, and our hearts go out to those involved," the statement said. After graduating from WSU, she taught English and lived abroad in Kazakhstan from 2008 to 2010, trained teachers there and returned to Winona in December 2010, according to U.S. Peace Corps records. According to a search warrant filed in Winona County, sheriff's deputies investigating the death of the infant spoke with Baechle's family, who said they had no personal contact with Baechle in 2011. Baechle had been living in her van in the Winona area that year, they told investigators. Her family members also recognized items found with the infant in the bag and told investigators that Baechle collected angels and that they gave her an angel ornament every Christmas. Baechle was also a volunteer board member with the Bluff Country Coop in Winona, serving as an officer on the board through 2024. Baechle was a fixture at live music and performing arts events in the community befriending musicians and organizers. She would volunteer her time at Winona area music festivals. People familiar with Baechle through music and the arts declined to speak on the record about Baechle. However, a common word among people who know her was "stunned" about the news.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Mom arrested more than decade after dead infant named ‘baby angel' was found floating in Mississippi River
A Minnesota woman has been charged in a more than decade-old cold case of a baby girl whose body was found floating down the Mississippi River. DNA evidence now shows that Jennifer Nichole Baechle, 43, is the mother of the dead newborn, who was dubbed 'Baby Angel', according to investigators. Boaters found the baby girl in the Mississippi River in Minnesota, seven miles south of Winona, 13 years ago. The child's body was located in a bag with incense, a pendant and multiple angel figures in September 2011 over that Labor Day weekend. One of the boaters tried to perform CPR on the child, according to News 8 Now, but it was clear the infant had died. The angel figurines led authorities to give the child the 'Baby Angel' nickname. She was likely only a couple of days old. A medical examiner found the infant had a four-inch section of her umbilical cord attached and 'several fractures on the front and side' of her skull, a criminal complaint stated. The child had sustained the injuries while she was alive, an autopsy conducted in 2024 found. For years, officials didn't know what happened to the child or how she came to be in the river. That was until DNA technology led investigators to Baechle in May 2023. Authorities had used DNA samples from the baby to help find possible relatives. Officials later approached Baechle for a DNA sample and she retained an attorney. To confirm a DNA match, officers went through the woman's trash and sent samples to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. There, investigators determined the infant was the woman's biological child. Relatives told police they immediately recognized the blue pendant found with the child and were certain it belonged to Baechle. The mother, they said, collected angels and bought an angel ornament each year for Christmas. The relatives said they had not been in touch with the woman and stated she was living in a van in 2011. After the DNA test results came back, authorities with the Winona County Sheriff's Office charged Baechle with two counts of manslaughter. During a news conference Thursday, Sheriff Ron Ganrude said: 'For more than 13 years, Baby Angel's tragic death has weighed heavily on the Winona community. 'She deserved better than a watery grave. She deserved more than a life cut short. And while her birth mother remained hidden, this community wrapped its arms around this little girl." Baechle appeared in court Thursday for her arraignment. She's given a $200,000 unconditional bond and a $20,000 conditional bond. She had recently been hired to teach one class at Winona State University for the spring semester. In a statement to the outlet, the university said another professor would be taking over.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Winona woman arrested in 2011 death of 'Baby Angel'
Apr. 24—WINONA, Minn. — The biological mother of the dead newborn found floating on the Mississippi River in 2011 is facing criminal charges. Jennifer Nichole Baechle, 43, is facing two counts of second-degree manslaughter for allegedly placing her newborn in a white tote bag and sending it down the Mississippi River in 2011. The charges, which were filed in Winona County District Court on Thursday, April 24, revealed that law enforcement connected her DNA to the DNA samples collected from the objects found inside the bag. The newborn was found concealed in a white tote bag on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi River on Sept. 5, 2011, by boaters. The 7-pound baby was found swaddled under a green T-shirt inside two plastic bags that also contained four small porcelain angels, a seeing eye bracelet and incense. The infant became known as "Baby Angel" in the Winona community. Six months after the discovery of the infant, more than 150 residents honored the newborn in Winona's St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Baby Angel was laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery, where her gravestone stands today. A community-wide effort in Winona funded the grave marker, and members of the sheriff's office often replace the flowers near her grave. Nearly a decade after the infant's death, Winona County deputies sought the assistance of a forensics genealogy company that has a history of helping law enforcement identify unidentified human remains. When Baby Angel was initially discovered, forensic genealogy was not well known. Law enforcement attempted to follow leads connected to the figurines found in the bag with the newborn, but none led to finding Baby Angel's parents. Firebird Forensics Group provided the Winona County Sheriff's Office with a possible lead to a 41-year-old woman living in Winona in March 2023, the Post Bulletin previously reported. Deputies searched the woman's trash. According to the Minnesota BCA test, a DNA sample from the trash shows the woman is a possible biological match with a blood sample taken from the infant. In a search warrant filed in March 2024 , investigators narrowed their search for the identity of the baby's mother. The sheriff's office was using the warrant to ask for permission to obtain a DNA sample directly from Baby Angel's suspected mother. Deputies submitted Baechle's DNA for testing around March 19, 2024. The results indicated there was strong evidence to support the biological relationship between Baechle and the newborn, the criminal complaint said. After receiving the DNA test results, the sheriff's office spoke with members of Baechle's family, who told law enforcement they did not have personal contact with Baechle in 2011. When deputies showed photos of the items found with the newborn in the white tote bag, Baechle's family members "immediately recognized" the blue pendant. According to the complaint, her family members also said Baechle was gifted an angel ornament every Christmas. Baechle collected the angel ornaments. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) concluded on March 17, 2025, that the DNA on the incense stick matches in the bag matched the DNA of Baechle. Her first appearance is scheduled for later Thursday, April 24. A press conference is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. in Winona, where authorities are expected to release more information about the case. An autopsy was conducted on Sept. 6, 2011, the day after the infant was found. The medical examiner determined the infant was likely born within a day or two of her discovery. Part of the umbilical cord attached to the infant appeared to be cut by someone with a sharp-edged instrument. The complaint said it was not cut by a medical provider. The medical examiner also found bleeding on the infant's brain and fractures on the front and side of her skull, the complaint said. In 2024, an updated autopsy review revealed that the infant "sustained injuries of the head while alive." The injuries would not have occurred if a medical professional had assisted with the birth. The medical examiner concluded it did not appear that the infant received medical treatment during or after birth. "As the biological mother of the infant, Defendant had a duty to seek medical care on behalf of the infant during pregnancy, birth, and immediately after birth," the complaint said. In 2023, after the forensics genealogy company provided law enforcement with a possible lead to Baechle, deputies asked Baechle to provide a DNA sample. Baechle asked for more time to consider giving them a sample and to research Firebird Forensics Group. Soon after her second request for additional time, a criminal defense lawyer sent a letter to the sheriff's office requesting that any future contact with Baechle be made through the attorney. Check back later for more on this developing story.
CBS News
24-04-2025
- CBS News
Break in "Baby Angel" case as southern Minnesota woman arrested, charged
A southern Minnesota woman faces manslaughter charges in connection with "Baby Angel," a newborn found dead in the Mississippi River more than a decade ago. Jennifer Baechle, 43 of Winona, is charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter, according to court documents filed Thursday. The baby was found in the river in Homer, just south of Winona, in September 2011. The 7-pound infant was wrapped in a green T-shirt, encased in two brown plastic garbage bags and then placed inside a canvas tourist tote from a Mexican resort. Investigators named the child "Baby Angel" because several glass angel figurines were found with the body. WCCO In 2011, a medical examiner found several fractures on the baby's skull and bleeding on the brain. The baby's umbilical cord also did not appear to have been cut by a medical provider. According to a criminal complaint, an updated autopsy review in 2024 found the "normally developed term female infant sustained injuries of the head while alive." "There is no evidence that medical care was provided during or immediately after delivery," the complaint states. "The resultant brain hemorrhages from the skull fractures could have been treated medically and decreased the likelihood of death." Multiple agencies investigated the baby's death, but there were no major developments until 2023, when a nonprofit genetic research company identified Baechle as a possible lead in the case. Investigators requested a DNA sample from Baechle, but she declined through her attorneys. Authorities then collected a used feminine hygiene product from trash outside Baechle's home, according to a search warrant. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension determined the DNA collected from the trash sample could belong to Baby Angel's biological mother, but additional testing was needed. A year later, authorities collected Baechle's DNA via search warrant and submitted it for testing, which found "very strong evidence" that she was Baby Angel's mother, the complaint said. Baechle's family members said she was living in her van in Winona in 2011 and they did not have contact with her at the time, according to the complaint. They also said she collected angels and that a pendant found with the child's body belonged to her. DNA found on items in the bag with the baby also matched Baechle's sample, the complaint states. Baechle has been arrested and made her first court appearance Thursday morning. Authorities planned to hold a news conference about her arrest and charges at 12:30 p.m. This story will be updated.
