MASSACHUSETTS, USA — A Massachusetts woman pleaded guilty Thursday to manslaughter in the death of her infant daughter, Baby Jane Doe, found in a gravel pit 37 years ago in northern Maine.
Lee Ann Daigle, 58, of Lowell, Massachusetts, was arrested last year after police cracked the case thanks to years of police work and advancements in DNA technology.
Her name was Lee Ann Guerrette. A newborn baby was dragged by a dog to a home in Frenchville and police were alerted to the grisly discovery on Dec. 7, 1985. Detectives tracked the dog’s path to a gravel pit where the baby had been born and abandoned in sub-zero temperatures.
Thursday morning, the prosecution disclosed the evidence it would have presented if the case went to trial. Lara Nomani, asst. district attorney, described what police found when they responded to the scene that day.
"She appeared to be full-term and was found unclothed, unswaddled, and partially frozen," Nomani said.
The death remained a mystery for decades until the Maine State Police Crime Lab positively identified Baby Jane Doe's father in 2021, who said he was unaware of a pregnancy or birth. This eventually led to Daigle's indictment last year on a charge of murder, which later changed to manslaughter.
Daigle initially denied claims that she was the baby's mother, until later interviews with police.
"Ms. Daigle admitted to having delivered Baby Jane in that gravel pit and abandoning her there, acting alone," Nomani said.
Hon. Stephen Nelson, of the Aroostook County Courthouse, stated Daigle faces up to 20 years in prison.
Daigle will be sentenced at a later date in Superior Court.