Baby's death yields few leads one year after body found in Plain City garbage truck

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PLAIN CITY, Ohio (WCMH) – The search for evidence continues one year after an infant baby was found in a garbage truck in Plain City.

According to Central Ohio Crime Stoppers, leads as to what happened to the newborn baby have been hard to come by and investigators remain active in seeking more information on a baby girl's death.

On June 15, 2023, Plain City police officers responded to a call from the villages’ contracted refuse company. Upon arrival at the 100 block of Bluestem Lane, a full-term newborn baby girl was found in the rear collection point of the garbage truck.

Medical personnel from the Pleasant Valley Joint Fire District pronounced the infant dead at 2:33 p.m. The body was removed from the scene and was taken for an autopsy to be performed by the Montgomery County Medical Examiner’s Office, which was assisting in the case.

Police initially believed the girl, later named "Madison", was between zero days to one month old. A release from Plain City police said a preliminary autopsy showed the newborn was female and that her umbilical cord was still attached.

In December, a Madison County Coroner’s Office report stated the baby had multiple fractures and had blunt force trauma to areas of the head, neck, torso, pelvis and extremities, but the report did not determine the actual cause of death, or whether the death was natural, an accident, or a homicide.

Madison County Coroner James Kaehr released a statement that read in part, "Madison's body demonstrated many injuries and abnormalities.  Several of these could be lethal in isolation, i.e., they could cause death even if they were the only abnormality present. Without having more information regarding when and how each abnormality developed, we are unable to determine with reasonable certainty which one (or combination) ultimately resulted in Madison's death."

Area camera footage, including doorbell cameras and other surveillance footage, has been reviewed by police, but no suspects have been named at this time.

Residents of Plain City came together the following weekend to mourn the loss of Madison. Services were organized by Plain City first responders, who surrounded the hearse as the casket was being place and offered a salute. Hundreds of cars followed the hearse towards Forest Grove Cemetery while many residents gathered on the sidewalk to offer flowers to passing cars.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for any information leading to the arrest and/or indictment of the person(s) responsible for this crime. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call 614-461-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrime.org and submit your tip.