JUSTICE FINALLY SERVED: Mother is now in custody after dumping her newborn in a YMCA dumpster 13 years ago

Tara Brazzle was identified as the mother of a child who was abandoned in a YMCA dumpster 13 years ago.

DNA technology has linked the mother to the child and Brazzle, 44, has been charged with criminal homicide for her death. She is being held without bail. According to reports, Baby Mary Anne was found dead by asphyxiation and left wrapped in a blood-stained towel in September of 2007. Brazzle worked at the YMCA in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania where she dumped her child.

After failing to initially find the mother or a suspect, a second test was conducted with new technology in 2016. A lab known for studying genetic analysis with genealogical research was consulted, and researchers were able to create a “reverse family tree” leading them to the child’s mother. Other suspects may include the child’s father, however, investigators do not yet know if he is criminally involved.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “DNA evidence has become an increasingly powerful tool for solving both violent crimes and property crimes, such as homicide, sexual assault, and burglaries.” Databases allow investigators to link criminals to DNA left at crime scenes or on victims.