A woman in Colorado was arrested Tuesday in connection with the death of a newborn girl whose body was discovered in a garbage bag weighed down with rocks in a reservoir more than two decades ago.
The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office announced that 42-year-old Jennifer Katalinich of Erie, also known as Jennifer Tjornehoj, was arrested on charges of first- and second-degree murder.
“This case serves as a great reminder that [the sheriff’s office] is determined to solve all cases despite the amount of time that passes after the commission of the crime,” Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith said at a news conference. “It often takes just one citizen to come forward with information to spark new life into a cold case.”
The “Baby Faith” case began on Aug. 24, 1996, after two 11-year-old boys discovered the body of a newborn girl with her umbilical cord still attached in the Horsetooth Reservoir, located just outside of Fort Collins.
A county coroner determined at the time the child died of asphyxiation, and the unidentified girl was later named “Baby Faith.”
“Investigators established this case was not related to a similar case in Pueblo known as the ‘Baby Hope’ case,” police said in a press release. “Investigators aggressively pursued all leads in the coming months, but eventually all leads were exhausted, and the case was declared cold.”