CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) — A woman in Virginia has been charged in the death of a newborn baby 17 years after his body was found.
The Virginian-Pilot reported Tuesday that a grand jury in the city of Chesapeake indicted Melissa Sue Chrisman, 41, on charges of felony murder and felony child abuse and neglect.
Police spokesman Leo Kosinski declined to identify Chrisman’s relation to the child.
Known as Baby Daniel, the infant froze to death. He was found wrapped in two blankets and was wearing a diaper.
Court documents say a Chesapeake detective recently assigned to the case sent two blankets to a lab for testing. Police also sought a search warrant to collect a DNA sample from Chrisman.
Chrisman had been sent to a city jail. It’s unclear if she has an attorney.
Baby Daniel was buried in a donated plot. A grave marker reads “LOVED BY MANY.”
