(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department)
After nearly 35 years and hundreds of hours of police work, the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department has closed the 1989 homicide of Baby John Doe. Frustrating for law enforcement, however, the woman who they believe murdered the baby won’t face any charges.
On Thursday, November 9, 1989, a couple of trappers made a grizzly discovery under the Highway N (38th St) bridge over the Des Plaines River in Paris. It was a very cold fall day and it was 39 degrees outside. Wrapped in towels and stuffed into a Shopko plastic bag, an infant baby was discovered and was clearly deceased. Pathologist John G. Sanson, M.D., the County’s Medical Examiner at the time, estimated that the baby boy was born 5-12 days prior to his discovery. Baby Doe was covered in maggots and indignity. The umbilical cord was still attached to the small infant. The placenta was also in the bag, but was pulled apart, and not cut with a sharp object. The boy, obviously abandoned, passed away without a name and without answers. What happened to Baby John Doe? Why did his mother not report him missing or deceased?
Over the next 35 years, investigators with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department would continue to search for the perpetrator of what the Medical Examiner, Dr. Sanson ruled was a homicide. An autopsy showed that Baby John Doe was born a healthy little boy. He lived for some time. The Doctor that performed the autopsy said the Baby John Doe’s lungs showed evidence of such. Dr. Sanson wrote in the autopsy report that there was evidence that suggested that the baby was not stillborn.
Then-Sheriff Allan Kehl put put out a “personal appeal” to the public for information leading to the identity of the mother on November 15, 1989. He said, in part, “This baby boy was discarded under the bridge like so much garbage. This baby boy, once alive at birth, now lies cold and lifeless with no name or history, deprived of life by someone who would not or could not care for this child. Our intention is to locate the mother of this child to complete our investigation and to insure that another child will not grow for nine months and be allowed to experience life for a brief moment and then spend eternity cold and nameless.”
(lbrinews.com)
Detectives in the 90’s and 2000’s developed many leads about young girls being the baby’s mother, which were all ruled out – all but one. There was one name that was coming up at every turn – Kaye Louise Truesdell. In fact, Truesdell was named a suspect just two days after Baby Doe’s discovery. At a Kenosha County D.A.R.E. outing in 1997, a woman who had a few cocktails, told a Deputy that Truesdell killed her own son. She said it was a rumor she had heard from many other students. Detectives made progress, but the biggest break in the case would surface in 2016. A woman who was high school friends with then-16-year-old Truesdell called the Sheriff’s Department when she saw Baby John Doe featured on the Sheriff’s Department’s “Cold Case” web page. She assumed that detectives knew who the baby’s mother was and the case was solved. She was wrong. She told detectives that she believed her high-school friend, Kaye Truesdell, now Kaye Pederson, was the dead baby’s mother. She told police that rumors that Kaye murdered her baby by throwing him over a bridge were extremely rampant throughout the community.
(Salem Public Library – Central High School Yearbooks)
(Central High School Yearbooks)
Kaye Truesdell-Pederson’s friend and others reported noticing signs of pregnancy at Central High School, where they went to school together during the late 80’s. One of her best friends said that Kaye was a skinny girl and dressed “skimpy,” but got “fat”, and started to wear baggy clothes to seemingly hide her pregnancy. Truesdell came to school on a Monday and Kaye’s friend said it looked like she lost a substantial amount of weight over the weekend.
A 20-year old man named Scott Bartell, now 55, was dating Truesdell off and on during the time of the conception. They had sexual intercourse. He is likely the father of Baby Doe.
Lt. Neil Paulson, Jason Sielski, and Jon Hasselbrink
Kenosha Sheriff’s Detectives Lt. Neil Paulsen, Joseph Sielski and Jon Hasselbrink were eager to check on this new lead. Eventually, they would ask Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder for a warrant to exhume Baby John Doe and obtain the DNA from Kaye without her consent. They hoped that Kaye’s DNA would match her to her dead son. “America’s Judge” signed the warrant. In 2016, Baby John Doe was exhumed from St. John’s Cemetery in Randall.. Police also went to Kaye’s home in Mukwonago and took a sample of her DNA. According to a report, “Kaye Truesdell-Pederson was emotional and exhibited incriminating physical manifestations believed to point toward guilt” when detectives questioned her. When a detective first saw her taking out the garbage, he said “are you Kaye Pederson?” She replied “yes.” The detective introduced himself and told her that they were there for her DNA pursuant to a warrant and the homicide investigation. The detective explained that she was very nervous, breathing heavy, and seemed flustered. He wrote in his report “I observed Kaye to turn ‘white as a ghost.’ ” She did not deny killing her baby, even after a detective told her that “we know [you] killed him.” Kaye’s husband told investigators that he did not want them to speak with Kaye. He said that there was no reason or any benefit for her to talk to investigators. He said that he has seen “too many people get railroaded” and did not want Kaye speaking to investigators. She asserted her fifth amendment right to not self-incriminate. A detective noted that her husband did not seem surprised at all by their presence at the home during the execution of the warrant.
Detectives worked with many experts to try to extract DNA from Baby John Doe. They didn’t have any luck for about six years. Finally, with the help of Othram, a DNA profile was able to be identified. Othram is a laboratory in Texas built in 2019 and founded by Dr. David Mittelman, according to Othram’s Director of Account Management, Michael Vogen. Vogen tells KCE that Othram used to be Law Enforcement’s last resort for DNA work, but they’ve become the first in many cases, due to their successful use of “forensic grade genome sequencing,” which is a whole genome sequencing method developed just for this purpose – to generate a profile that can be used for forensic genetic genealogy. “It’s incredible and humbling and we’re proud to be a part of [the Baby Doe Case]. This is why we wanted to develop this company and this lab is to give investigators another tool to access when traditional DNA testing doesn’t reveal an identity or just another tool in the tool bag that can oftentimes give them another clue for them to investigate and do what they do best,” said Vogen.
Lt. Paulsen got a letter In August of 2022 that showed that the DNA evidence proved that Kaye Truesdell-Pederson was definitively Baby John Doe’s mother.
Michael.Graveley@da.wi.gov
(FIle Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Detectives were now excited and believed they had a substantial amount of evidence to send the case to Kenosha County District Attorney Mike Graveley (D). At this point, detectives would run into another roadblock. Kaye’s husband, who wasn’t around Kenosha County during the homicide was a Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney for many years in the early 2000’s. Facebook profiles of Kaye’s husband and Mike Graveley suggest that the two are still friends to this day based on interactions on social media.
Detectives seemed to make one last chance to get a confession. On September 24th 2024, detectives Sielski and Lieutenant Paulsen responded to Kaye Truesdell-Pederson’s home again. A detective also observed the garage door open. They knocked on the door several times along with ringing the doorbell. At one point, Detective Sielski observed Kaye in an upstairs window and she quickly hid. They also heard movement in the house. They called her cellular phone and left a message. They never made contact with Kay. “It was clear Kaye was avoiding us,” wrote Detective Sielski.
Graveley refused to prosecute his friend’s wife. Instead, on July 14, 2022, he sent the homicide case to Racine County District attorney Patricia Hanson (D), a prosecutor that has made cases “go away” for Graveley in the past. Hanson seemingly had no interest in giving Kenosha County Detectives a fair shake at a prosecution.
Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson (D) agreed to take the homicide investigation as a “special prosecutor.” However, she did little to nothing with the case in the span of two years. KCE was tipped off about Baby John Doe and was told that Hanson wasn’t going to charge Truesdell-Pederson with homicide. On May 8, 2024, KCE emailed Patricia, asking her why she didn’t charge her. She never responded. On June 14, 2024, KCE asked Hanson for “any non-prosecution-like letters you authored in reference to your denied prosecution of the Kenosha Sheriff’s Baby John Doe case you were assigned as a special prosecutor for.”
Again Hanson ignored us. It wasn’t until recently that KCE learned that Hanson’s office authored a “denied-prosecution” letter on May 10, 2024. This, just two days after we asked her why she was giving Truesdell-Pederson a pass. When we asked her for the record in June, she violated the law by concealing her “denied-prosecution” letter from us. She didn’t provide us with the letter until last week. It was addressed to the wrong person with the wrong title and was riddled with grammatical and spelling errors, suggesting it was hastily written. KCE has learned that Truesdell’s husband is a powerful government attorney in Milwaukee. KCE isn’t naming him, as he couldn’t have been involved in the death of Baby John Doe. We did call him and asked if he knew about the death on May 8, 2024. He told us “I have no idea what you’re talking about” and he hung up on us. This was clearly a lie. This was two days before the prosecution was denied. We called Truesdell-Pederson and asked her to explain why she left her baby to die in the cold Wisconsin November weather almost 35 years ago. She didn’t respond.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Kenosha County Sheriff’s Detectives met with a Racine prosecutor named Dirk Jensen, who was the Deputy DA at one point but was but had his rank lowered to Assistant DA. Detectives met many times and pleaded their case. Jensen was seemingly told by his boss not to prosecute Truesdell-Pederson, no matter what the evidence showed.
KCE consulted with some defense attorneys who reviewed the general facts of the case. It was agreed that cases with much less evidence have been charged and proven to juries many times in their experiences. “DA Hanson threw out the charges like Baby John Doe was thrown out,” one attorney told KCE on the condition of anonymity.
The house where Truesdell-Pederson was living at the time of the baby’s death, was only about a tenth of a mile away from bridge where she seemingly abandoned her own child and allowed him to die. The video below shows how close it is. The house is still owned by the Truesdell family. One question that has been asked rhetorically, is “how did Kaye’s parents not know that she was pregnant?” People wonder if the parents knew and didn’t say anything to authorities.
KCE visited the grave of Baby John Doe, even though it is empty. Out of the hundreds of graves at the cemetery, this author stopped his Harley at a random spot in the south central section of the property. With great surprise, the first grave looked at was the grave of Baby John Doe. A grave that was the resting place for him for 28 years.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
We visited the bridge where Baby John Doe’s life was cut far too short. The bridge still exists and appears early similar to how it appeared almost 35 years ago.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Below are copies of the yearbooks for the Freshman and Sophomore classes with Truesdell. If you know have any information about this case, please contact the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department at 262-605-5102. You may also contact KCE and KCE will relay the information anonymously for you. The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department has never relented in the search for the truth. This case is now “closed pending further evidence.” If new evidence comes forward, there is a chance that Truesdell-Pederson can still be charged with homicide.
Kaye Truesdell-Pederson has two children with her husband and their children are probably learning that their mother is the one and only suspect in a homicide for the first time reading this report. Their older brother would be celebrating his 35th birthday in a few weeks.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
There is an undecided issue that is very important is in process. Baby John Doe has not been placed back to rest. On September 27th, the medical examiner’s office sent Truesdell-Pederson two letters, one certified, and one non-certified. This certified letter was refused by Truesdell-Pederson.
Truesdale-Pederson was notified in the letter that if she wanted to take possession of her son’s remains, she needed to do so by October 11th. The Kenosha Medical Examiner’s office called many cemeteries whose charges ranged from a few hundred dollars to multiple thousands of dollars to re-inter Baby Doe. They then found a Catholic Cemetery in Racine who said the actual space and the internment fee would be waived. The baby is tentatively scheduled to be put back to rest at Holy Cross Catholic cemetery in Racine. The cemetery there is waving any fees. KCE spoke to Racine Cemeteries General Manager Mick Moore who told us about his decision to provide a free space for Baby Doe, saying “This is a Catholic cemetery, and it’s our faith. We have to give the least of God’s children a final resting spot. We would never turn our back on that.” Baby Doe has been at the Medical Examiner’s Office in a freezer for 8 years.
In a news release sent to KCE after publication, the Sheriff’s Department wrote the following:
“The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department and the Medical Examiner’s Office would like to remind the community that resources are available for parents in distress. Safe Haven, also known as “newborn relinquishment,” allows a parent to leave a newborn in a safe place in certain circumstances with certain individuals.
Under Wisconsin Statute § 48.195, a parent may leave an unharmed newborn (under 72 hours old) anonymously and without fear of prosecution in a newborn safety device as defined in the statute, or with a law enforcement officer, emergency medical services practitioner, or hospital staff member — without fear of legal consequences. More information from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families is available at https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/cps/safehaven.
Any parent or caregiver in distress may also contact the Kenosha County Crisis Line, available 24/7 at 262-657-7188.
Anyone who has any further information about the 1989 Baby John Doe incident and investigation is encouraged to contact Kenosha County Sheriff’s Lt. Neil Paulsen or Detective Jason Sielski at 262-605-5102.”
Sheriff David W. Zoerner, told KCE that he is “incredibly proud of his investigative team, lead by Lieutenant Neil Paulsen. I am continually blown away by the tenacity and perseverance of this group of men and women.”
***This story is a nearly year-long investigative report that KCE agreed, at the request of the Sheriff’s Department, to withhold publication until the case was closed.***
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department)
(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department)
(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department)
(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department)
(Cell Photo Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
101 Responses
Absolutely horrible that this cold blooded woman could do this to her own child. She will definitely answer to her maker for her crimes. Praise be to God that baby John Doe is with his creator, enjoying eternal joy and peace. This is why we need change in the Kenosha DA’s Office. I sincerely hope Attorney Solis fully prosecutes this vile criminal to the fullest extent of the law when he takes over in January.
We need every person who cares about justice to get out and vote – and bring along so.e fellow voters. This disgusting practice of blind eyed, fake referrals to similar minded DA’s as special prosecutors must end. It will only stop after we elect SOLIS!
Alot of stuff going on with the DA office, there’s a leak in the department
The biggest problem with the DA office is who is running the ship {Gravely and McNeill} Vote RED!!!
And the father? Has no claim?
So very sad that such people are among us.
The father is likely guilty of statutory rape because she was under 18. Statute of Limitations probably prevents prosecution.
How old was the father ?
20
He’s guilty because he was an accomplice. He knew she did it and did NOTHING. WHY ISN’T HIS ADDRESS AND PHOTO EXPOSED?
Right like why can’t he get the remains😩
Patricia Hanson is a handsome fellow
She’s handsome
Again , Kevin , please warn us before Pat Hanson’s face scares the shit out of us .
Yes he is 😉
I can’t stand that photo of Hanson. You talk about a man in a dress.
“It was addressed to the wrong person with the wrong title and was riddled with grammatical and spelling errors, suggesting it was hastily written.” So what you’re saying is it was written in similar fashion to about 95 percent of the stories posted on Kenosha County Eye?
Gravely can’t be gone soon enough.
This conflict of interest reason goes to far and is taken too often.
There are enough other prosecutors in the office to take this on.
Though any female can conjure up a whole host of scenarios that happened way back then.
Family members “helping/assisting” in covering up the pregnancy. Or plain ignoring it. Then allowing the birth to happen anywhere but a hospital. Then the realization of actually having to explain “the baby”.
My oh my the mindset of that sick family way back then.
To think that having a baby out of wedlock meant so much more to everyone else instead of the mother and baby. Not to mention whoever the father is.
Wouldn’t he be able to claim the child ?
To give a proper name and burial ?
No crime in coming forward now to prove DNA.
If they can’t prosecute the mother they absolutely can’t prosecute the father.
Give this child a name and headstone.
I don’t know what the statute of limitations is on statutory rape, but since the purported father of the child was 20 at the time and Truesdell was 16, he could be charged with a crime for conceiving the child with her. In fact, since he doesn’t have any inside connections at the DA’s office, if they can find evidence to prove he had some part in the death or concealment of the infant, he could be charged. They COULD have prosecuted the mother – but she got the Kenosha Insiders Pass …
If it were you or me, they could certainly find
something appropriate to charge us with.
Funny how they put in due diligence when
they want to prove a point.
I’m sure the father didn’t care about her or the baby so why would he claim it, maybe he was married. Although this is terrible to discard the baby like that, she was 16? Probably scared,didn’t have any help from family or guy that got her pregnant( or she thought), certainly not an excuse but I can understand how she must have felt alone.
Assuming the father knew…
She still needs to face punishment.
Is being 16 justification for throwing the baby away in a trash bag to die slowly freezing under a bridge? I know plenty of women who had kids young and stepped up to the plate and are rockstar moms. Not the way they planned it but that’s what happens when you want to be sexually active at a young age. We all know what can happen. At least try to give it up for adoption or something. Even abortion (I don’t agree with it) but it is more merciful. Then she just lives her life like nothing happened because she’s white and connected. America must be great for some people for sure they can literally do anything because of who they know or are sleeping with or married etc.
Kevin has said at least once or twice that his typing and grammar are second or even third to getting the story out. Fat fingers and all.
To any and all that can’t figure out what he is saying and how, and then complain, you yourself are just too fucking picky !! Just take a minute every now and then and figure it out.
Do you want to “volunteer” to proof each story ?
To sit side by side at all hours of the day and night ?
Just because you think it “should be perfect”??
We are so FUCKING LUCKY to have a person of Kevin’s character going after these stories. Putting them out there with words so many other publications won’t use. Thoughts and ideas trying to get to the TRUTH !! Making this a place where SO MANY people can not only read but comment in real time. And then comment on the comments.
Revere in the fact that we are lucky enough to live where he does. To read what he writes. To know that if there is something harming you or someone else, you can give it to Kevin to look into and he will write about it if it proves out.
Kevin is Helping this Community more than people realize ! He is making a difference !!
As for the original point. Legal documents have to be without errors. Otherwise they can be challenged. And we all know how much we hate it when the guilty get out on a technicality.
You, Kevin and I are humans.
We all make mistakes.
Some people are just too picky to drop it and be
thankful for a person as dedicated and efficient as Kevin is.
Picky people like that are no fun to be around.
Wow what corruption… Death of a baby.. Michael Gravely selective prosecutor.. super disappointed. He’ll meet his maker also.
Not too difficult figuring out her husband’s name
and who he works for.
Good of you to not name him though.
He did Scott Bartel
That’s the purported father of the baby, not the current husband
What’s the husbands name? I checked in several places and came up with a blank.
Why protect a man that knowingly helped to cover for a murderer? A BABY MURDERER.
District Attorney Robin Pederson is married to Kaye.
He’s not a district attorney, numbnuts.
They know for sure she did it so I don’t get why she isn’t in jail??? Ugh I hate our justice system.
Think of it as a legal system and not as a justice system and everything makes more sense.
A friend of mine actually studied this seemingly odd phenomena of a woman not knowing she was pregnant, giving birth and then abandoning the baby. Reading this makes me wonder if this could be relevant to this case.
In a bag.
Awareness.
Physically found a means to get to bridge
And to crawl/climb to deposit location.
Nope..not in a daze.
Did the boyfriend help her with the crime? Aiding and abetting a murder.
This will be the future since people want abortion until birth. This will be legal and okay to do.
Nobody wants abortions until birth, stop listening to ignorant people.
Has your head been in the sand the last few years. They celebrated this in NY when it was passed under Cuomo. Ex Governor of VA talks about full terms abortions and if they fail keeping born baby comfortable while they die. Same with Walz in Minn.
11 States have Full Term Abortions
You are truly a giant asshole. You have no idea what you are talking about, figures you are anonymous. Moron.
Sorry you are the ignorant one Lisa. Look it up.
The news is very ignorant and so are many in office- but it is what it is. This would be considered late-term abortion.
Begging here,
Will the father or person who could be the father please step up and take a DNA test and claim your babe? Please.
Has baby doe dna been entered into 123 and ancestrydna to check for others related?
I have fat fingers too and a small keyboard and holding and uppercase is hard. Read past it.
Doesnt matter if they won’t prosecute anyway.Since when is there a statute of limitations on murder?
There is not a statute of limitations for many crimes, including murder and it is stayed in many circumstances.
First and second degree intentional homicide: No time limit
Felony murder: No time limit
First degree reckless homicide: 15 years after the crime
In order to prosecute they would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt intent to kill. If it was a reckless homicide prosecution is barred. If the jury in an intentional homicide case finds that it was reckless no conviction can be entered (State v, Wilson).
NOT after the crime. After it’s documented.
Well we can still publicly shame her and she can face being a social stigma.
Is the husband the assistant city attorney of city of Milwaukee???
Do your research on your own.
Telling you, would be the same as naming him.
Yes
Yes he is and his name is Robin Penderson. Hope this story gets more coverage so these two can at least live in shame if there is no justice for the poor baby.
SAD STORY How can Police and Sheriff unions vote to endorse McNeill when she will be same as Gravely? Kenosha we need Change!!
Fuck McNeil
By the looks of her husband, Gravely is probably fearful of getting eaten.
As horrible as this story is, at least now, every voter in Kenosha County knows that the level of corruption within our District Attorney’s office is so great that a person can literally get away with murder if she is part of the inside group that controls local government.
Vote Xavier Solis for District Attorney to end this corruption.
What name will be on the baby’s time stone?
I meant to type Tomb Stone. This poor little baby who never had a chance needs to have a proper burial and a stone with his first name and his mother’s maiden surname. She may have gotten away with this but his grave with her name on it will be a visual reminder of what she did. Others are involved: Her boyfriend, and parents. perhaps the b.f. was unaware but how could her parents not be? I think the baby should be named Angel. Please Kevin keep us informed. Maybe we could all “chip in” a little to buy him a proper stone.
This is about as sick as it gets and I cannot believe that this asshole district attorney won’t prosecute this sick as woman!!! He will take and fuck with petty misdemeanor BULLSHIT charges on people for arguing in their own fucking house and dumbass bullshit and to the point he doesn’t care if they rot in jail over it and lose their jobs their houses their lives over stupid fucking bullshit and cannot even spank your own kid these days but in this case you can KILL HIM! Fucking asshole! Not surprised this libturded dumocratic scumbag DA is buddies with Ted Kmiec!!! GO fuck yourself!
Exactly! Someone I know is sitting there right now for over a year for something so petty. Lost his job, home, education, and beloved dog. Bond was set ridiculously high. No prior criminal history. Meanwhile the real criminals go free. This needs to stop! You better believe I’m voting for Solis.
Call the boss of Big Town
Get the riot squad
Tell your STAR REPORTER
That he’s got himself a job
— Diamond David Lee Roth on Kevin Mathewson
This is disgusting and diabolical! The fact that once again the corrupt Gravely and his equally criminal cohort, Pat “the androgynous” Hanson could cover for this crime is all the more reason to jail the two of them! I am so sick of the corruption here
I am not one to judge what the issues might have been why the baby had died… but what sickens me more than anything is the district attorney and other lawyers and attorneys and other people in our governmental system that let this stuff pass and protect the people that are connected to people with power while the rest of us have to suffer with the real criminals getting away with s***! This is plain wrong, and those people that do this in the law system need to be ousted!
Kaye Truesdell-Pederson is a murdering whore.
I hope something really bad happens to her.
On a different note, going through those yearbooks was a trip. That late 80’s-early 90’s fashion takes me back!
I like how the Kenosha Sherriff puts out a statement that they won’t reveal next of kin as she isn’t charged.
Tools.
We need every person who cares about justice to get out and vote – and bring along some fellow voters. This disgusting practice of blind eyed, fake referrals to similar minded DA’s as special prosecutors must end. It will only stop after we elect SOLIS!
Has anyone questioned the sperm donor Scott Bartell?
Fucking sick cunt hope this bitch rots in hell, even if she got 3 hots and a cot, she don’t deserve that what this sick as bitch needs is a tall tree and a short rope, I’ll never for get this day, and my friends parents did a lot for this baby and took it upon themselves to have him buried
This story needs to be shared with every media outlet until someone big runs it. If you can’t put Kaye in prison then let the world know who she is and who helped deny justice to this baby. She couldn’t even claim his body, what a worthless piece of sh*t.
Gravelly and especially Hanson should be tarred and feathered and run out on a rail. Shame on them for not prosecuting!!
This is a sick and horribly tragic situation. We are all understandably upset. It’s time to take politics and rhetoric out of this and look at it more objectively, especially as there are thorny legal issues with a 35 year old case.
Graveley probably made the right call in recusing. He had a conflict of interest. It is possible that he could have assigned the case to a new hire in his office who was not around when the suspect’s husband worked there and recused himself from any supervisory involvement in the case. At the end of the day, though, the question is why was prosecution denied? Did the letter from the Racine DA’s office give a reason? That’s important to know. And a reason should have been given.
Given the passage of time it’s critical because the statute of limitations do not apply to first or second degree intentional homicide. In other words, if there was sufficient evidence of those crimes, then the passage of time would not be a factor. We know that because Wisconsin’s first pediatric cold case homicide — State vs. David James Wilson — was prosecuted in 1986, 17 years after the incident. Wilson was convicted following a two-week televised trial in Kenosha. Wilson was convicted of second degree murder for which there was no statute of limitations. One of the issues in the appeal of his conviction was his claim that the jury should have been given an instruction on a lesser included offense even though the statute of limitations for that offense expired. The Court of Appeals agreed, holding that if the jury found Wilson guilty of the lesser crime then he could not be convicted and sentenced. The Wisconsin Supreme Court reversed and reinstated Wilson’s conviction, agreeing with the trial prosecutor that there was no evidence to support a lesser included offense. Wilson subsequently lost other appeals and served out his sentence.
In order to successfully prosecute the case there should be sufficient evidence to convict of an intentional homicide. If the jury found guilt of a lesser offense then it would amount to an acquittal because the statute of limitations expired. This poses a very interesting question. The state owes this victim justice. On the one hand, it’s understandable to not want to pursue a case if “winning” it is not a “slam dunk.” In other words, should time and money be spent on a case that might not go anywhere and not result in punishment? On the other hand, even if there was an acquittal or a finding of guilt on an offense for which the defendant could not be convicted and sentenced, would there still be some justice for the victim?
There are a lot of tough questions here begging for answers, including, of course, why prosecution was denied. Another would be what experts were consulted before that decision was made. Not only forensic experts but was the prosecutor in the Wilson case, who is retired from the DA’s office, ever consulted and, if not, why not?
It’s possible that the Racine DA’s office made the right call in denying prosecution at this time. But one of the highest duties the government owes to its citizens is to pursue justice for a homicide victim. There should at least be a reasoned explanation why. Justice for the victim demands no less.
There is no statute of limitations on murder.
There isn’t for intentional homicide but reckless and negligent, yes.
I bet this article is pissing off Christina barnhill who went to prison for the same thing
Here go all the Kenosha detectives and Karen’s and Ken’s talking and gossiping you guys are all so predictable. Instead of talking about people and making up things in your fairytale minds Pray for those involved. Oh let me guess you all don’t have no skeletons in your closets perfect human being syndrome having ass fake Kenosha folks.
Pretty sure most Kenosha women haven’t stowed our newborn babies in Shopko bags under bridges and left them to slowly freeze to death in November, so no, we don’t have real skeletons in our closets of the children we have murdered.
But your God to judge huh leave the judging to God someone that your not, where’s the Christianity not saying what she did was right because its not but none can judge
Yes. I can judge. Killing your newborn by throwing it off a bridge is horrific and MURDER. I will make that judgement over and over again. And anyone who feels differently is not worshipping God above.
Christians can rebuke sin- that’s a loving thing to do.
Pretty sure the skeletons most of us have in our closets are not those of our own dead babies. Clearly this is a relative and you should be ashamed.
At least I would through my newborn into a shopko bag and dump him in the river, you must be a relative or have something to do with her, well wonder how Kaye truedale likes having everyone no it’s her now, and shame on the DA’s they need to go as well, hope she has all kinds of people and reporters outside her house after this
Pray? She’s out living her life freely after leaving a new born baby to freeze to death and be eaten by maggots. She gets away with it because she’s white and has connections. This should bother everyone and anyone who reads about it and especially people in this community. If there’s not justice for the most innocent and helpless there’s no justice at all. Taking up for a person who kills their unborn baby is insanity.
everyone should be calling the Racine DA’s office. This is unreal
It’s nice that Gravely can pick and choose what cases are charged and has that puppet of his pulling the strings so criminals don’t get charged. If I recall a baby died in Pleasant Prairie and that person was charged as the baby ended up in a landfill.
This criminal lets her baby freeze to death and because Gravely is friends with her husband there are no charges issued.
Do we not care about life? The most innocent are not cared about by Gravely and that man Hanson.
Gravely is a POS along with the other thing he handed the case to both should be hung from a tree along with Kaye, and how dare this cunt whore white trash nigger bitch go with about her life and have kids, fuck this cunt I pray now that she has been exposed dies a slow painful death
What a truly hateful person you are. I pity you.
People, this article is about 2 distinct things. 1. A woman, who murdered her own newborn (while she was a minor) and 2. A DA who passes off uncomfortable cases (which seems to be about half of the community) and/or refuses to prosecute them.
typo, sorry, should be “uncomfortable cases or cases involving people he knows…”
Wow she had the gall to use the email address blessthatchild@yahoo.com
Hey Kaye do us all and your family a favor and go die you fucking whore
We can pray for all of those involved but that doesn’t change the fact this woman killed a baby and literally threw it away like garbage. It’s not about what skeletons I have in my closet and not judging/gossiping but being accountable for such a reprehensible and downright evil act. That baby was born alive and that woman changed that for whatever reason (and whatever reason will never be a good enough reason). We all understand. As a woman, I get it. But she needs to be held accountable.
TMJ4 picked up the story, but left out the key piece- that the murderer’s husband is the Assistant City Atty. in Milwaukee.
It definitely feels like that should be brought to light.
egad. that is a poorly written piece of garbage.
Dear Editor,
First of all, allow me to say that I find your article impeccable from every perspective. Your sources, once again, have provided accurate information. It is concerning, however, that the prosecutor’s office has chosen not to press charges. The question is: Were any DNA tests conducted or attempted to determine if there is a relationship between the alleged mother and the remains? A crime as abhorrent that it shouldn’t have any time limit, I believe the prosecutor’s office should have made a greater effort. There’s no doubt the detectives tried.
Perhaps once Attorney Solis assumes the role of district attorney, he can revisit this case and seek justice for that innocent child.
DA Hanson was involved in my deceased 37 year old sister’s case which was drug induced sexual assault. We were set for trial 4 times before Hanson decided to dismiss charges 5 days before the last set trial date. Her reasoning for the dismissal does NOT match up to the actual evidence! Michael Hunter admits on recorded interview to watching my sister go unconscious, to dragging her body across the floor leaving POST mortem abrasions, he admits to undressing her and having sexual contact with her before leaving her body there for over 12 hours, leaving the scene to call police to say she killed herself! A witness his nephew states on recorded interview her condition was not good and he did not see or hear her again after being dragged into the room that only a thin curtain was used as a door! He would have if she was alive but she wasn’t! She did NOT kill herself and she could NOT consent! Michael Hunter was out on parole of an armed bank robbery when he killed my sister! He was facing 46 years in prison which would be life for him only for Hanson to dismiss the case unethically! Not only did she dismiss this but she violated our rights as victims which are under investigation by the DOJ of WI. We weren’t even notified my sister was victim of SA at her death notice and found out by reading an article online by Racine Eye that matched description of her death which was 25 days AFTER her death! She has ignored all my contact and has just now responded since I got the DOJ involved and is again being untruthful! Dirk Jensen filed the official charges, he believed there was enough evidence and probable cause! Hanson needs to go if she won’t prosecute crime!
How hard is it to convict the mother of the dead newborn? Who else would have done that? I pray she gets convicted, dumb b**** has been living life all this time because she’s connected with that piece of sh** Graveley. Sticking up for a baby killer like that is absolutely disgusting. What a horrible way for a baby to die. This case just pissed me off. I swear if you are white you can get away with anything even something as disgusting and pathetic and downright evil as this. 🤮
Thanks for covering this story. Curious how stupid the investigators were back then. The dumb b**** literally had the baby and dumped it right up the road from where she lived. Newly born.. I wonder who did it 🤦♂️. How tf does a new born baby become a cold case in the first place. 51 years old, how tf does she live with that guilt!?