Woman pleads guilty to 1985 death of baby

HOULTON, Maine — A woman from Massachusetts has pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the death of her baby in 1985. Her baby was found dead in a gravel pit in Maine.

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Lee Ann Daigle, 58, also known as Lee Ann Guerrette, was arrested in June 2022 after DNA technology led police to her 37 years after her baby was found dead in Maine, according to The Associated Press.

Daigle pleaded guilty Thursday to manslaughter charges, the AP reported.

In a news release from June 15, 2022, the Maine State Police said detectives went to Lowell, Massachusetts, on June 13, 2022, to arrest baby Jane Doe’s mother, Daigle. The baby was found dead on Dec. 7, 1985.

A 10-year-old Siberian husky named Paca carried the baby to his owner’s door in Frenchville, according to The New York Times. Investigators were able to retrace the dog’s steps to a gravel pit, which was believed to be where the baby was born and then left overnight. The baby had died from exposure to cold temperatures.

Advancements in DNA technology helped investigators over the years, including the last two years as investigators with the Maine State Police Unsolved Homicide Unit and Aroostook County authorities chased down leads, trying to identify the baby’s mother.

Daigle had been charged with murder, according to the Maine State Police.

Daigle is expected to be sentenced at a later date in Superior Court, according to the AP.