Woman found dead a day after officials identified her deceased newborn found abandoned on freeway in 1993

GULFPORT, Miss. (TCN) -- A woman died by suicide one day after law enforcement announced they were able to positively identify the remains of a newborn who was found abandoned and deceased on the side of the freeway in 1993.

According to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, a driver discovered a baby on Interstate Highway 10 on Dec. 21, 1993. The child was deceased, and an autopsy showed the girl died from blood loss and exposure, with her manner of death listed as homicide. A local funeral home buried the child, who officials named Mary Josephine.

Because investigators could not identify her or locate her mother, Mary Josephine’s case went cold.

Last year, on Dec. 7, 2023, the Harrison County Criminal Investigations Division exhumed Mary Josephine’s body and sent her remains to Othram Inc.’s labs. Scientists at Othram used advanced genetic genealogy testing to help find new leads in the case. The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office received the results on Oct. 10, which listed Mary Josephine’s potential relatives — including the suspected mother. Detectives obtained a warrant for a DNA test on that woman.

On Oct. 11, Harrison County detectives went to the woman’s residence to speak with her and found her deceased. The sheriff’s office said she left a note "in which the woman claimed to be the mother of Mary Josephine."

Her death was ruled a suicide.

The sheriff’s office did not share Mary Josephine’s birth name, nor did they identify her mother.