North Carolina woman arrested nearly 50 years after baby found dead in trash bag at landfill

Nearly 50 years aft a newborn babe miss was recovered successful a trash container astatine a North Carolina landfill, authorities person arrested a pistillate successful 1 of the area’s oldest unsolved acold cases.

The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office announced Feb. 25 that Cathy McKee, 69, of Whiteville, North Carolina was arrested and charged with felony concealing the commencement of a child. McKee was identified done DNA investigating arsenic the infant’s mother.

The probe began successful 1979 aft the newborn’s assemblage was discovered astatine a Columbus County landfill. Despite an extended investigation, each leads were yet exhausted. Still, investigators said the lawsuit was "never forgotten."

Cathy McKee was arrested connected Feb. 24, astir 50 years aft a newborn babe was recovered astatine a North Carolina landfill. (Columbus County Sheriff’s Office)

"For 47 years, this babe girl’s communicative was carried guardant — passed from 1 procreation of investigators to the next," the sheriff's section said. "Some who archetypal worked the country are inactive remembered today; others person since retired, moved on, oregon passed away."

The section said the work felt by the archetypal investigators "did not fade," calling the lawsuit a lasting reminder that the kid deserved to beryllium remembered and her communicative deserved answers.

Officials noted that though the lawsuit predated modern DNA technology, investigators utilized "extraordinary care" successful preserving evidence, which yet made the apprehension imaginable decades later.

"Their professionalism, compassion, and foresight ensured that this babe miss would not beryllium mislaid to time," the section said.

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Cathy McKee, 69, was arrested aft investigators utilized modern DNA investigating to place her successful transportation with a newborn babe recovered astatine a Columbus County landfill successful 1979. (Columbus County Sheriff’s Office)

The lawsuit was formally reopened much than a twelvemonth ago, and investigators were capable to prosecute caller leads utilizing advances successful DNA testing, yet identifying McKee arsenic the baby’s mother.

Sheriff Bill Rogers said that adjacent aft astir fractional a century, the kid was "never forgotten."

"As a father, this lawsuit is 1 that hits deeply. Every kid who enters this satellite deserves protection, love, and the accidental to beryllium known," helium said. "For 47 years, this babe girl’s beingness — nevertheless little — mattered to the investigators who archetypal held that lawsuit successful their hands and to each detective who reviewed it after. She was ne'er conscionable evidence, ne'er conscionable a report. She was a child, and she was ne'er forgotten."

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The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office announced an apprehension connected Feb. 25 successful a acold lawsuit from 1979 wherever a newborn was recovered dormant successful a landfill. (Columbus County Sheriff’s Office)

McKee was released from custody connected a $5,000 enslaved and waived her close to counsel astatine a tribunal quality this week.

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