CHILLICOTHE — The Ross County Coroner's Office is attempting to identify a newborn infant who was found dead in 1975 on Windy Ridge Road.
The office is asking for the public's help as the gravesite for the child has been lost. According to the coroner's office, the baby girl was buried in Mt. Tabor Cemetery, however, the gravesite was lost and the church cemetery records were destroyed either by a fire or a flood years ago.
The office will be using a Ground Penetrating Radar in an attempt to locate the grave.
If the gravesite is found, they will use all available technology in an attempt to identify the child.
"We want to be clear; we only want to find her and make every effort to give her the identity she deserves; everyone deserves a name. We are not judging nor are we seeking any punishment. The statute of limitations has long passed so this isn't about blame or judgment. This is only about giving a child her identity," a release from Ross County Coroner Dr. Ben Trotter's office states.
According to a Feb. 3, 1975 Chillicothe Gazette article, the sheriff's office was investigating the discovery of the body. The original reporting that day stated it was a newborn male infant that had been at a roadside dumping area along Windy Ridge Road, but later articles referred to her as an infant female.
The boy was found by a 13-year-old boy who had gone to the dump with his father.
The dump was about three miles north of Ohio 772 in Huntington Township at the top of a sharp ravine. Deputies said the body was found about 10 feet from the road covered by a woman's skirt.
The coroner at the time, Dr. Donald L. Berling, was called to the scene and said it appeared the child was stillborn and still had its umbilical cord attached, according to the article.
A Feb. 7, 1975 article stated that Berling had determined that the child had been alive and the preliminary investigation showed she had taken breath before dying of asphyxiation. The death could have been caused by the umbilical cord which was wrapped around the neck.
The final coroner's report stated the infant probably died from asphyxiation but it was not known if it was from the umbilical cord or mucous in her throat, according to a Feb. 21, 1975 article.
The Ross County Sheriff's Office at the time said it had received tips on who the mother might be but none of the leads produced anything.
If anyone has any information pertaining to the general location of the burial site, please contact the coroner's office by emailing to rosscountycoroner@rosscountyohio.gov or by calling 740-775-7464, please leave a detailed message if a staff member does not answer your call. The caller may remain anonymous, and if desired, no callback will be made.
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