Police arrested a suspect in a decades-old case were a baby was found dead in a garbage truck.
62-year-old Janita Philips, of Lake Mary, FL, was charged with murder in the case, which dates back to 1986.
Greenwich police said newly available forensic testing provided a link to physical evidence.
The baby boy was found inside a sanitation truck on May 16, 1986. The truck had just empted a dumpster at an apartment building at 27 Havemeyer Pl. in Greenwich.
The medical examiner said the baby’s cause of death was strangulation. The manner was homicide.
It was determined that he was born alive and was killed soon after birth.
Evidence, including items soaked with blood, was collected and interviews were conducted. However, none of it pointed to a killer at the time.
Last year, Greenwich police’s cold case unit was finally able to link evidence found at the scene to Philips, the boy’s mother.
Philips was found in September 2021 with the help of detectives from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
She admitted to them at that point that she was the boy’s mother and caused his death. DNA testing further confirmed that she was the mother.
On Friday, Greenwich police said Philips surrendered to them at their headquarters.
She was held on a $50,000 bond and given a same-day arraignment.
“We are grateful that justice is finally being obtained for this infant child of our community,” said Deputy Chief Robert Berry, Greenwich police. “The investigation of his tragic death has taken many long years, but he has always been remembered and we hope this conclusion will bring him peace and recognition.”
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