Break in "Baby Angel" case near Winona as woman arrested, charged
A southern Minnesota woman faces manslaughter charges in connection with "Baby Angel," a newborn found dead in the Mississippi River more than a decade ago.
Jennifer Baechle, 43 of Winona, is charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter, according to court documents filed Thursday.
The baby was found in the river in Homer, just south of Winona, in September 2011. The 7-pound infant was wrapped in a green T-shirt, encased in two brown plastic garbage bags and then placed inside a canvas tourist tote from a Mexican resort. Investigators named the child "Baby Angel" because several glass angel figurines were found with the body.
"While her birth mother remained hidden, this community wrapped its arms around this little girl," Winona County Sheriff Ron Ganrude said. "Ever since, they've waited in patience for answers that she deserved. We never gave up working to find those answers."
In 2011, a medical examiner found several fractures on the baby's skull and bleeding on the brain. The baby's umbilical cord also did not appear to have been cut by a medical provider. According to a criminal complaint, an updated autopsy review in 2024 found the "normally developed term female infant sustained injuries of the head while alive."
"There is no evidence that medical care was provided during or immediately after delivery," the complaint states. "The resultant brain hemorrhages from the skull fractures could have been treated medically and decreased the likelihood of death."
Multiple agencies investigated the baby's death, but there were no major developments until 2023, when a nonprofit genetic research company identified Baechle as a possible lead in the case. Investigators requested a DNA sample from Baechle, but she declined through her attorneys.
Authorities then collected a used feminine hygiene product from trash outside Baechle's home, according to a search warrant. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension determined the DNA collected from the trash sample could belong to Baby Angel's biological mother, but additional testing was needed.
A year later, authorities collected Baechle's DNA via search warrant and submitted it for testing, which found "very strong evidence" that she was Baby Angel's mother, the complaint said.
Baechle's family members said she was living in her van in Winona in 2011 and they did not have contact with her at the time, according to the complaint. They also said she collected angels and that a pendant found with the child's body belonged to her.
DNA found on items in the bag with the baby also matched Baechle's sample, the complaint states.
Baechle has been arrested and made her first court appearance Thursday morning.
"This is the day we've all worked for for over 13 years," BCA Deputy Superintendent of Forensic Science Services Catherine Knutson said. "To help bring answers for this community and justice for Baby Angel."
