New developments in 1993 cold case of baby Mary Josephine
New developments have been made in a Mississippi Coast cold case that dates back to the early 1990s.
The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office has released new details in the case of baby Mary Josephine, a newborn who was found dead on December 21st, 1993, on I-10 near Lorraine Road in Gulfport.
At that time, it was determined that the baby died of blood loss and exposure, and her death was ruled a homicide. Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Home helped with the unidentified baby’s burial at Floral Hills Memorial Garden and ultimately gave her the name Mary Josephine. Investigators could not find Mary Josephine’s mother, so the case went cold.
On December 7th, 2023, the Harrison County Criminal Investigations Division received a court order to exhume Mary Josephine’s body in the hopes of identifying her using new DNA technology. Othram, Inc. performed DNA and Forensic Genetic Genealogy testing. The company is based out of Houston, Texas, but has helped in many other South Mississippi cold cases.
On Thursday, October 10th, the results of those tests came in. Investigators were able to identify the baby, as well as several relatives and Mary Josephine’s possible mother. They obtained a search warrant to get DNA from that woman.
One day later — on October 11th — officials attempted to contact the baby’s possible mother at a home in Gautier. Upon entry into the home, they found her dead inside. According to officials, her death has since been ruled a suicide.
Investigators also say a letter was found inside the home in which the woman claimed to be the mother of Mary Josephine.
This is a developing story, and Mary Josephine’s true identity has not yet been released. Stay tuned to WXXV News 25 as we work to gather more information on the case.
