On June 1, 2018, a deceased newborn female infant was found floating in the Atlantic Ocean off of the Boynton Beach Inlet in Palm Beach County. This case study will describe the initial investigation of this unidentified infant and the case's transition to a "cold case" status shortly after due to no leads. This case was the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office's Forensic Biology Unit's first attempt at Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG) and produced the first and only lead that led to solving this case. The presentation will continue with how the parents were identified based on the lead provided from utilizing FIGG and the subsequent investigation into the mother (the sole suspect), which led to her arrest and conviction. Offered 'On Demand' only in 2024.
Learning Objectives:
Develop initial investigation strategies to an unidentified deceased baby based on the autopsy and limited information
Utilization of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG) and following up on the provided results
Utilization of search warrants in order to obtain cellular data to include GPS, search history, photos and other device content