Mother of Abandoned Newborn Receives 20-Year Sentence

The mother of a baby girl, who was abandoned in Texas 24 years ago, has been sentenced to two decades in prison. Shelby Stotts pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter concerning the infant, known as Angel Baby Doe. This case, which had gone cold for years, was solved in 2024 when DNA technology enabled authorities to identify Stotts as the child’s mother. The baby was found deceased on a roadside near Johnson County.

Johnson County District Attorney Timothy Good emphasized the tragedy of the situation, stating, “This child was left nameless, bleeding, exposed to the elements, and essentially abandoned. But the good people of Johnson County opened their hearts to her, gave her a name, provided a burial site and a headstone, gave her a funeral…and 24 years later, a Johnson County jury gave her justice.”

Good added that even though this was a cold case, the pursuit for justice never wanes. “We will always fight for justice and seek justice, no matter how long it takes,” he explained.

Detectives also managed to identify the baby’s father. However, he claimed he was unaware of Stotts’ pregnancy. After learning about the birth, he named the child Taryn Angel Moreno.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office reported that the girl’s body was discovered in 2001 by a person collecting cans on a roadside between Alvarado and Burleson. Authorities indicated that the infant appeared to have been wrapped in a jacket and left to perish.

The coroner determined that the baby was born alive but had died due to foul play, likely bleeding to death since the umbilical cord was still attached and not clamped.

For two decades, law enforcement struggled to identify the infant or locate her mother. Eventually, forensic evidence was sent to a lab near Houston for DNA testing, which paved the way for breakthroughs. Dr. Kristen Mittelman, Osram’s chief development officer, commented, “We were able to create a genealogy, but it took a long time. This was a difficult case, but we were actually able to provide an identity to law enforcement.”

Through DNA profiling and genealogical research, the team was able to connect the dots leading to Stotts. Dr. Mittelman expressed pride in being part of the effort, stating, “I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of giving this baby her name back and getting justice for her.”