Murder case solved after 25 years Woman takes DNA test and puts her grandmother behind bars
A DNA test out of curiosity brought Jenna Rose into contact with an unsolved murder case. The 25-year-old cold case was solved and the police were able to arrest the perpetrator.
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- A DNA test reveals the secret of a crime in the USA that took place 25 years ago.
- A mother left a newborn baby lifeless on a campground in California in 1997.
- A young woman discovered through an Ancestry DNA test and a viral TikTok video that the victim was her aunt.
- Nancy Gerwatowski, the mother of the newborn, confessed to the crime and is now on trial for murder and concealing a death
It is one of the most tragic stories Garnet Lake (California, USA) has ever seen: On June 26, 1997, a lifeless newborn baby was discovered in the toilet pit of a campground. The gruesome discovery made headlines at the time, but the case remained unsolved - until now. A DNA test revealed a truth that left even the investigators speechless.
According to the autopsy, the newborn, who was posthumously named "Baby Garnet", was between 36 and 42 weeks old. "An autopsy revealed at the time that the newborn was between 36 and 42 weeks old," writes the News Advocate portal. But despite intensive investigations and public appeals, no witnesses came forward. The case was shelved and "Baby Garnet" became a symbol of an unsolved crime.
Turning point after two decades
It was not until 20 years later, in 2017, that the case was reopened. A Michigan State Police detective worked with the FBI and a private laboratory to start a genealogical search using the latest DNA technology.
The skeletal remains of "Baby Garnet" were handed over for examination in 2020, and a detailed DNA profile was created by 2022. The investigation took a surprising turn when an unexpected lead came from a completely different direction: TikTok.
A TikTok video reveals the truth
Jenna Rose, a young woman, posted a seven-minute TikTok video on Wednesday that went viral. In it, she describes how a simple DNA test on Ancestry made her the key figure in this cold case. "I never knew my grandmother," she says in the video. She was only aware of the name when she was a teenager.
Two years ago, Rose decided to order a DNA kit after a friend had received one for Christmas. At first, everything was unspectacular, but about a year later she received a mysterious phone call. "A police officer was on the phone. I thought to myself: What have I done?" she recalls. The police told her that her DNA matched that of the victim in a 25-year-old case.
It turned out that the victim was related to Jenna Rose. Further tests finally confirmed a direct link: "Baby Garnet" was Jenna's aunt - the child of her grandmother Nancy Gerwatowski.
The grandmother on trial
Nancy Gerwatowski finally confessed that she was indeed the mother of the dead baby. According to Click On Detroit, she gave birth to the child alone in 1997 at her home in Newberry, South Carolina. Investigators believe that the newborn suffocated in the process. Instead of calling for help, Gerwatowski is said to have hidden the baby at the campsite.
The 60-year-old now has to stand trial. A judge ruled in May 2024 that she must answer for murder and concealing a death. If convicted, she faces life imprisonment.
"Baby Garnet" is no longer just a tragic symbol, but a memorial to the possibilities of modern DNA technology. But the case also shows the dark abysses of human behavior - and the unexpected ways in which the truth can come to light.
This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). All content created by AI is verified by the editorial team.
