A 41-year-old cold case has been solved in Massachusetts, allegedly linking a woman to the 1985 death of her newborn son. Dianne Curry Peck, 59, appeared in court on Tuesday, where she pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in connection with the death of her son, known as "Baby Boy Doe" of Mansfield.
According to authorities, the newborn's body was discovered on January 26, 1985, by a father and son who initially thought the child was a doll. An autopsy determined the child was born alive before dying a short time later.
Using forensic genetic genealogy, investigators analyzed the baby’s DNA, which eventually led them to Peck. DNA recovered from a soda bottle taken from her trash ultimately linked her to the child, authorities said. At the time of the birth, Peck was a 17-year-old student at Mansfield High School.
Peck allegedly admitted to investigators that she had given birth to a child in the back seat of her ex-boyfriend’s car. She claimed she gave the baby to him because he said he knew someone who would adopt the infant. However, prosecutors argue that there is no evidence that anyone knew she was pregnant.
A medical examiner estimated that the infant had likely been in the woods for only about 12 hours before being discovered. Prosecutors also noted that the timeline of Peck's story is inconsistent with the condition of the baby's body and the freezing temperatures at the time.
The case went cold until Bristol County investigators reopened it in 2022, partnering with the FBI and state authorities. The Mansfield Police Department, along with former New England Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan, paid for the baby's funeral.
The case is a tragic reminder of a newborn baby who was denied the most basic right to live. For 41 years, this child was known simply as Baby Boy Doe. He entered this world with limitless promise but was left to die in the woods.
