Woman reopens 27-year-old murder unsolved case after Ancestry DNA test leads to grandmother’s arrest – US News

A TikToker has revealed how DNA testing led to the reopening of one of the town’s best-known cold cases and the arrest of her grandmother.

Like everyone who is a member of the site, Jenna Rose He expected to learn a little about his family’s history and possibly connect with some unknown relatives – but he never guessed what would happen.

Shortly after taking the test, detectives from the Mackinac County Sheriff’s Office and Michigan State Police say they reopened Baby Garnet’s 27-year-old case and her DNA matched one of the suspects in the case, who turned out to be her maternal grandmother, Nancy Ann Gerwatoski.

Jenna ‘lost her mind’ after learning about DNA match (@__jennarose__/TikTok)

The case, which Jenna said was ‘very popular’ in the town where she grew up, involved a baby believed to be 36 to 42 weeks gestation found dead in a campsite toilet in Garnet. Lake Campground in the Upper Peninsula’s Hudson County’, accordingly Michigan Attorney General’s Department in a press release in May.

The statement said police investigated the case throughout the summer, but “no witnesses or valid leads were obtained.”

After a police officer contacted her, Jenna agreed to share her DNA with a worldwide database to assist detectives with their case; initially thought it was a ‘scam’.

Police began asking about Jenna’s DNA when it turned out that her DNA was that of a “distant relative” of the suspect. mother if only he was willing to share his DNA.

That’s what led police to Gerwatoski.

Nancy Ann Gerwatoski arrested in connection with the case (Mackinac County Sheriff’s Office)

“They eventually found out that he was my mother’s direct relative, not a distant relative, and the only other person he could have been was my mother’s mother,” Jenna said. tiktok video.

“They kind of started doing their own research and realized who he was. So we were confused.”

Despite the familial connection and obvious shock, Jenna revealed that she had never actually met her grandmother.

“Mind you, I’ve never met this woman before. She’s literally the damn person they’ve been looking for for 25 years. And it’s all thanks to the Ancestry DNA kit.” he said.

According to the police statement, it is claimed that Gerwatoski ‘delivered the newborn alone at her home in Newberry’ and that the baby died as a result of suffocation, while Gerwatoski did not seek medical attention for a ‘preventable death’ and this took her to the hospital. ‘Keep dead newborn in outhouse at campground in Hudson’.

according to The Independent confirmed Gerwatoski was from Baby Garnet with additional DNA testing obtained through a search warrant.

Gerwatoski was arrested and charged with one count each of open murder, involuntary manslaughter and concealing the death of a person.

The open murder charge could see him potentially sentenced to life in prison.

A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 12 to decide whether a number of factors, including Gerwatowski’s lack of prenatal care and failure to consider abortion, can be used at trial, according to court records, ClickOnDetriot reports.

It will also cover whether to dismiss the concealment of death charge.

UNILAD contacted the Michigan Attorney General’s Office for further comment.