Decades-Old 'Baby Hope' Cold Case Now Closed Following DNA Testing
PUEBLO, Colo. (CBS4) - A cold case in Pueblo is now solved. In 1996, two fishermen found the body of a baby girl, later known as Baby Hope, in the Arkansas River.
An autopsy revealed the baby was born alive before she was left in the river.
Last year, sheriff's detectives and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation conducted new DNA tests on Baby Hope. They came up with a list of people who might be the parents of the girl.
Detectives spoke with several of those people, including 52-year-old LeeAnne Hed. They contacted her in October, but she refused to talk with them.
Days later, she took her life. Police used her DNA to find out if she was the mother of Baby Hope.
"We were able to get DNA samples from the suicide and compare them to Baby Hope and make the determination through forensic technology that she in fact was the mother," officials stated.
They determined Hed was responsible for the baby's death.
The same day Baby Hope's body was found, another day-old baby girl was found in Horsetooth Reservoir. She became known as Baby Faith.
Investigators determined the two cases were not related. An arrest was made in Baby Faith's case in November of 2019.
The Pueblo County Sheriff says he's pleased the case is finally closed.
