Woman Charged in 1985 Newborn’s Death
A woman from Massachusetts is now associated with the tragic 1985 death of her newborn son, whose body was discovered by a father and son while hunting for rabbits, authorities announced this week.
Diane Curry Peck, 59, appeared in court on Tuesday, entering a not guilty plea to murder charges related to her son’s death. The child became known as “Baby Boy Doe” from Mansfield, Massachusetts.
“Cases involving abandoned newborns are among the most heartbreaking. These children deserve love, care, and protection,” said Ted Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Boston, outside the courthouse. “For 41 years, the child was merely referenced as Baby Boy Doe. He came into this world with so much potential but was denied the right to live.”
The baby was found on January 26, 1985, by a father and son who initially mistook the infant for a doll. Upon closer inspection, they discovered it was a naked child lying in the snow, as reported by WCVB.
An autopsy confirmed the child had been born alive but had died shortly after. “The baby was found lying on his back, with the umbilical cord still attached,” recalled Kenneth Martin, a Massachusetts State Police trooper at the time.
Mansfield police and former New England Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan covered the costs for the baby’s funeral, according to reports.
This case remained a mystery until it was revisited by Bristol County investigators, with collaboration from the FBI and state authorities, in 2022.
Utilizing forensic genetic genealogy, the investigation analyzed the baby’s DNA, eventually leading to Peck. Authorities stated that DNA found on a soda bottle from her trash directly linked her to the infant.
When the infant was born, Peck was a 17-year-old high school student. She reportedly revealed to investigators that she gave birth in the backseat of her ex-girlfriend’s car. Peck believed she had given the baby to her ex, who claimed to know someone willing to adopt. She thought it was a girl and never contacted her ex again, who passed away in 2020.
Prosecutors highlighted that there was no evidence suggesting that anyone, including Peck’s ex-boyfriend, was aware of her pregnancy. Furthermore, Peck claimed she delivered on January 20, 1985, which prosecutors argued conflicted with the physical state of the baby and the extremely low temperatures at the time.
The coroner indicated that the infant had likely been in the woods for no more than 12 hours before being discovered. Authorities have reached out to both the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office and Peck’s legal representative for further comments.
