DNA Breakthrough Leads to Arrest in 47-Year-Old Infant Found in North Carolina Landfill

Nearly five decades after a newborn's body was found in a Columbus County, North Carolina, landfill, authorities say advances in DNA technology have identified the infant's mother and led to an arrest.

On Feb. 24, detectives took 69-year-old Cathy McKee into custody. The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest the following day on a charge of felony concealing the birth of a child.

The case began in 1979 when the newborn was discovered in a trash bag at the county landfill. Investigators at the time collected and preserved evidence with what officials now call extraordinary care, but leads were exhausted and the matter grew cold.

Last year the sheriff’s office reopened the investigation. Using modern DNA methods, detectives say they were able to identify McKee as the infant’s mother. Authorities have not released any information about the infant’s cause of death.

“As a father, this case is one that hits deeply,” Columbus County Sheriff Bill Rogers said. “Every child who enters this world deserves protection, love, and the chance to be known. For 47 years, this baby girl’s life — however brief — mattered to the investigators who first held that case in their hands and to every detective who reviewed it after. She was never just evidence, never just a report. She was a child, and she was never forgotten.”

McKee was released from custody on a $5,000 bond and, according to local reports, waived her right to counsel at a court appearance. Investigators say the case remains under review and have not provided further details about the circumstances of the infant's death.

Timeline:

• 1979: Newborn's body discovered in Columbus County landfill; evidence preserved and investigation opened.
• Investigation grows cold after leads are exhausted.
• 2025: Case reopened; DNA technology used to identify the infant's mother.
• Feb. 24, 2025: Cathy McKee taken into custody; arrest announced Feb. 25.