A Massachusetts woman has been charged with the murder of her newborn son, whose body was discovered in 1985. Investigators used DNA from a soda bottle to connect her to the crime, authorities reported this week.
Dianne Curry Peck, now 59, appeared in court, where she pleaded not guilty. Her son, known as “Baby Boy Doe” of Mansfield, was found dead in the woods by a father and son hunting rabbits.
Few cases are more heartbreaking than one involving a newborn baby, allegedly abandoned and left to die in the woods by his mother, deprived of the care, love, and protection every child deserves,
said FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Ted Docks outside the courthouse. For 41 years, this child was known simply as Baby Boy Doe. He entered this world with limitless promise but was denied the most basic right to live.
The body was discovered on January 26, 1985, when a father and son saw footprints in the snow. At first, they thought the baby was a doll, but they soon realized it was a real, naked infant. An autopsy revealed the child was born alive but died shortly afterward.
Kenneth Martin, who worked as a Massachusetts State Police trooper assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, described finding the infant. It was naked, lying on its back; the umbilical cord was still attached to the baby,
he said.
The Mansfield Police Department, with help from former New England Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan, covered the funeral costs for the baby. Despite initial efforts, the case went cold until investigators reopened it in 2022, collaborating with the FBI and state authorities.
Forensic genetic genealogy played a key role in solving the case. Investigators traced the baby’s DNA to Peck, using DNA from a soda bottle taken from her trash to confirm the link.
Peck, who was a high school student at the time, allegedly told investigators she had given birth in the back seat of her ex-boyfriend’s car. Peck claimed she believed she had given birth to a girl and said her ex-boyfriend assured her that someone would adopt the child. According to Peck, they never communicated again. Her ex-boyfriend passed away in 2020.
Prosecutors stated there is no evidence anyone knew of her pregnancy, even her ex-boyfriend. Peck reportedly said the birth occurred on January 20, 1985, yet prosecutors argue the timeline does not align with evidence from the crime scene.
A medical examiner concluded the infant was likely in the woods for no more than 12 hours before being found.
The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office and Peck’s attorney have yet to provide further comments.