Over three decades of questions later, answers are finally being discovered after a newborn was found deceased with an umbilical cord still attached on the side of a Mississippi Gulf Coast interstate in 1993.
Harrison County Sheriff Matt Haley announced this week that the child’s mother was identified in large part due to genetic genealogy provided by Othram. After being buried under the name of “Mary Josephine” as an autopsy ruled the female infant’s death a homicide but could not determine any identity, a court ordered in 2023 that Mary Josephine’s remains be exhumed and evidence be collected so DNA testing could assist in the infant’s identification.
Scientists from Othram – a Texas-based genetic genealogy company – were able to develop a DNA extract from the evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to build a profile for the unidentified infant. Using the profile, Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team worked to develop new leads in the case before turning them over to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office.
Through a follow-up investigation, Haley and other Harrison County deputies executed a search warrant for DNA comparison on the person they believed to be the mother of Mary Josephine. When they arrived at her home one county over in Gautier on Oct. 11, they found the woman had died from suicide. They also discovered a letter penned by her, confirming she was the mother of Mary Josephine. Her name has not been released to the public as of Wednesday morning.
Mary Josephine’s body was found by a motorist on the side of Interstate 10 in Gulfport on Dec. 7, 1993. At the time, it was estimated that the baby was born the day prior and that she had been born alive. The case drew both local and national attention as the mysterious death has been featured in various publications and podcasts in the nearly 31 years since.
The identification of Mary Josephine represents the 31st case in Mississippi solved using technology developed by Othram.