A few days before Christmas in 2000, a boy was abandoned in the hallway of an apartment complex in South Bend, Indiana. Gene Eyster, one of the officers assigned to the case, was instrumental in comforting the boy during his stay. In the hospital, I wondered for a long time about the fate of the child.
A few weeks ago, the now-retired police lieutenant was not only given an update, but also an extended hand. The boy he saved was now a man, and he needed more than just survival. he has grown up
south bend police department
“Baby Boy Doe”
south bend tribune
report On December 23, 2000, a newborn baby was found in the hallway of Parke-Jefferson’s apartment shortly after midnight. Christian Lowe, who lives nearby, heard a child crying.
“I looked down the hallway and saw a box sitting there,” Lowe said.
Mr Lowe said he and a friend found the newborn baby shivering in a small box, wearing a nightgown and wrapped in a turquoise blanket.
“I didn’t know what to think,” Lowe said. “I put it inside the apartment to keep it warm.”
Mr Lowe and his friend called the police, who rushed to the scene with an ambulance in tow.
“It’s heartbreaking for us,” said then-Sgt. Ian McQueen of the SBPD Major Crimes Unit.
according to SBPD was called, and responding officers restrained then-Sgt. Gene Eyster joined the investigation, and he immediately began demanding answers to the following questions: “How did the baby get there? Was he kidnapped? Was it intentional? Is there anyone who does?”
“Initial tests indicate it may have been a courier,” Eyster told the Tribune.
“I want to find my mother and make sure she’s okay,” Eyster said. “After that, let the chips fall where they fall. … The priority is care and concern for the child, then the mother, and finally whether there is criminal intent.”
SBPD said Eyster worked with local media to spread the word about the boy, who is often referred to in reports as “Baby Boy Doe.”
“‘Baby Doe’ sounded so cruel,” Eyster said. “So… it was so close to Christmas that I started calling him ‘Baby Jesus.'”
south bend police department
As the investigation continued for answers about the boy’s origins, Eyster went out and bought a teddy bear to protect the child in his hospital crib.
recent aster
Said CBS News reported that the bear was “simply a symbol to let everyone who passed by know they were valued.”
subsequent report
shown The baby was in good health and is believed to have been between three and seven days old when she was left at the apartment entrance.
The mother, who abandoned her child after the delivery, later turned herself in to the police.
After a medical examination of the boy, police indicated the boy was released to Child Protective Services, and the department head at the time suggested he might be placed in some form of foster care.
For decades afterward, Eyster wondered what had become of the child, especially every time she passed the Park Jefferson apartment complex. However, the records were sealed, so it was never discovered.
south bend police department
explosion from the past
According to SBPD, Eyster, who recently lost her only son, received a call from Officer Josh Morgan last month.
“Gene,” Morgan said. “You won’t believe this.”
Eyster said he remembers almost everything about his time on the force, especially about the abandoned babies around Christmas.
“He’s sitting next to me right now,” Morgan said. “He’s my new guy!”
“Baby Boy Doe” apparently grew up to become SBP Officer Matthew Hegedus Stewart.
The department noted that Morgan pieced together some of the puzzle after responding to a call about a similar incident in which the newcomer mentioned being adopted or abandoned as a child.
Morgan pulled further strings, tracing the original incident report and identifying Eyster as the lead researcher.
On March 22, Eyster met with Hegedus-Stewart and said, “You’ve grown up a little bit.”
CBS News
shown Hegedus-Stewart is now patrolling the exact same neighborhood wearing the same uniform Eyster wore.
SBPD suggested that the rookie “need to consider that this experience may have motivated him, even subconsciously, to seek employment in law enforcement.”
The recruit directly told the retired lieutenant, “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
south bend police department
Hegedus-Stewart told CBS News it was “a shocking moment.”
Eyster said the timing of the reunion, just months after her son’s unexpected death at age 36, “couldn’t have been more appropriate to fill the void I had to deal with.” ” he said.
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