23 years after newborn is found in trash can, mom is charged with murder, WA cops say

Brooke Wolford
·4 min read

Twenty-three years after police say she gave birth in a gas station bathroom and left her newborn son in a trash can, the mother has been charged with murder, Washington prosecutors say.

Detectives in Seattle used DNA they obtained from an envelope sent by Christine Warren, to match her profile to DNA in a public ancestry database, leading to her arrest, according to court documents from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Police coaxed Warren, 50, of Seattle into sending the envelope under the guise of a survey for a fictional product.

Warren is charged with second-degree murder, and was released from the King County Jail Monday night on $10,000 bail, according to the jail’s website.

The case dates back to November 1997, when a store clerk yelled for help after discovering a dead newborn in the bottom of the trash bag she was taking out, documents say.

Two days before, on Nov. 18, a woman, now identified as Warren, was seen on surveillance video rushing into the store’s restroom with a blanket around her waist, then leaving about 15 minutes later.

Mom arrested in baby’s death 23 years later, thanks to DNA genealogy site, WA cops say

After the story aired on local news, a witness who said she held the door open for the woman contacted police, documents state. She told them after she saw the woman hurry into the restroom, she heard a baby cry.

The next day, an employee found “blood smeared in the bathroom on the toilets, floor, trash can and the toilet paper dispenser,” according to documents. The bathroom was cleaned and sanitized, but the trash wasn’t taken out by the store clerk until Nov. 20.

The umbilical cord and placenta were still attached to the infant when it was found, court documents say. Detectives collected DNA from “blood smears from the placental blood clot … along with the victim’s blood and submitted these items to the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory (WSPCL).”

Connecting the DNA dots

While a DNA profile of the newborn’s mother was completed, investigators did not find a match in their system. The case went cold for more than two decades.

In January 2018, detectives began reinvestigating the case and in August they re-extracted the mother’s DNA profile and searched for a match in the felony offender database, but still came up short.

Later that month, detectives submitted the profile to a private laboratory for genotyping, “a process of determining which genetic variants an individual possesses,” documents state. After completing the process, the lab entered the profile into a public genealogy website, where people “submit their DNA to learn more about their ancestry,” according to documents.

Anyone in the database with possible ancestral links to the mother was compiled into a list of possible suspects. In March 2020, Warren was added to that list.

“In November 2020 detectives sent a mailing to Warren which included a gift card and an invitation to participate in a flavored-water beverage survey for a fictional product,” documents say.

After Warren returned the survey, detectives submitted the envelope for DNA analysis. Warren’s DNA profile matched the DNA found at the crime scene in 1997.

An unplanned pregnancy

Detectives interviewed Warren this month and she admitted she was the baby’s mother and that she gave birth to him in the gas station restroom, abandoning him in the trash can, according to documents.

She told investigators the pregnancy was unplanned and the father was not happy about it, and Warren said she “could not handle the idea of having the child and blocked the pregnancy out of her mind.”

“She ignored the fact that she was pregnant. She said that she did not receive any medical care during her pregnancy and did not tell anyone she was pregnant,” documents state.

On Nov. 18, 1997, Warren was riding in a friends car and asked to stop at a gas station because she “started experiencing cramps.” She went inside and delivered the baby in the restroom.

“She said that the baby dropped into the toilet where she left him for several minutes,” documents state. “Warren panicked and placed the baby in the trash can, covering him with other debris inside. [She] said that ‘in her mind’ she did not believe [the] baby was alive, however conceded she did not check the baby for vital signs, and admitted that she did not know for sure what the baby’s status was when she discarded him in the trash.”

Warren’s arraignment hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. March 29 at the King County courthouse, Casey McNerthney, a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office, told McClatchy News in an email.

Recommended Stories

  • Louis Vuitton is back, bringing a weird and digital season to an end

    A year after Louis Vuitton’s last mass live fashion event and the brand is back closing the season yet again, and apart from the obvious digital changes, it seems fashion hasn’t paused at all, writes Vanessa Friedman

  • Biden trade nominee Tai wins unanimous U.S. Senate backing in procedural vote

    The U.S. Senate advanced President Joe Biden's nominee for U.S. trade representative, Katherine Tai, a step closer to confirmation on Tuesday, voting unanimously in favor of her in a procedural vote. The rare bipartisan 98-0 vote on a motion to end debate on Tai's nomination sets up a final Senate confirmation vote likely to take place on Wednesday, according to Senate Press Gallery staff.

  • ‘ESG’ funds have more energy stocks than you might think

    The similarities between the broad stock market and funds that purport to invest in more environmentally sustainable industries may be positive for returns, but what do they say about investor impulses?

  • Recovery in UK bookings unaffected by AstraZeneca setback, airlines say

    A recovery in UK travel bookings appears undimmed by the suspension of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine elsewhere in Europe, airlines said on Tuesday, as the setback threatens to delay immunisation campaigns in affected countries. France, Germany, Italy and 10 other EU states have paused vaccinations with the AstraZeneca shot pending the investigation of unusual cases of cerebral thrombosis in a small number of people who had received it. If sustained, the suspension could hamper efforts to bring the pandemic under control and exit lockdowns, particularly in countries such as France whose vaccination plans rely heavily on supplies from AstraZeneca.

  • Trading platform eToro to go public via SPAC merger in $10B deal

    Multi-asset investing and trading platform and Robinhood competitor eToro announced Tuesday it will go public via a merger with SPAC FinTech Acquisition Corp. V in a massive $10.4 billion deal. Once the transaction closes sometime in the third quarter, the combined company will operate as eToro Group Ltd. and is expected to be listed on the Nasdaq exchange. It launched its platform in the U.S. just over two years ago and has seen rapid growth as of late.

  • Lithuania suspends use of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

    In a change of policy, Lithuania suspended use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine as "a precaution" until the European Medicines Agency gives a final evaluation of its safety, the country's Health Minister Arturas Dulkys said on Tuesday evening. "We are taking the decision now, because over the previous few hours we have received three reports about serious, unexpected, unwanted thromboembolic cases in patients who were given the AstraZeneca vaccine in Lithuania", the head of the country's medicine authority Gytis Andrulionis told reporters on Tuesday. On Tuesday morning Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte told the public broadcaster her government would not suspend use of the vaccine, saying the harm due to the disruption to vaccination would be worse.

  • Microsoft hack fallout substantial for Dutch servers, watchdog says

    Dutch authorities on Tuesday said that the fallout for the Netherlands from a hack on Microsoft Corp’s Exchange was substantial, with at least 1,200 Dutch servers likely to have been affected. "The National Cyber Security Centre observes that, as a result of vulnerabilities, data is being stolen, malware is placed, back doors are being built in and mailboxes are offered for sale on the black market," the government cyber security watchdog said, urging companies to run updates. The Dutch watchdog's comments follow warnings from authorities in the United States and Europe about weaknesses found in Microsoft's Exchange Server software.

  • Nebraska declares meat only day and calls MeatOut movement ‘a direct attack on our way of life’

    Nebraska announces ‘Meat on the Menu Day’ in response to Colorado’s ‘MeatOut Day’

  • Minneapolis Will Tap City Budget to Pay Record Floyd Settlement

    (Bloomberg) -- Minneapolis will have to look beyond its insurance fund to pay out the $27 million settlement to George Floyd’s family over his killing by police last year.The settlement, one of the largest pre-trial payments for police misconduct ever, will come in part from the city’s general fund, according to a city spokesperson. The official said Minneapolis collected more revenue than expected in 2019 and planned to use the excess to prepare for budget shortfalls and these liabilities. Minneapolis also uses a self-insurance pool, which municipal agencies pay into, to finance workers compensation, accrued sick leave benefits and lawsuits against the city.For fiscal 2021, the city budgeted $9.2 million for liability claims, more than four times the amount set aside for last year. Still, that amount won’t be enough to cover the cost of the civil litigation. Minneapolis already spends roughly a third of its general fund budget on policing, despite cutting nearly $30 million in the wake of protests against police brutality sparked by Floyd’s death.Typically, higher profile police misconduct cases settle for $5 million or $6 million, said John Rappaport, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School. In this case, the video, egregious nature of former officer Derek Chauvin’s conduct and increased scrutiny likely motivated the pay-out agreement.“The city is gaining something for not showing up in court,” Rappaport said. “It’s worth a lot to the city to not litigate the case.”The payment to Floyd’s family marks the latest settlement of a high-profile police brutality case, and it comes just days into the proceedings for Chauvin’s murder trial. Breonna Taylor’s family settled with Louisville, Kentucky for $12 million in September, while also notching promised reforms to police policy.In 2019, Minneapolis paid $20 million to the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, an unarmed White woman who was killed by police. That settlement was previously the largest paid by the city, and led to concerns about higher property taxes.Cities are also facing suits from those brutalized during the police response to protests that came in the aftermath of Floyd and Taylor’s deaths.“All of us can’t lose sight of the fact that the public is paying for this,” Rappaport said.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

  • Mars: Vast amount of water may be locked up on planet

    Experts suggest much of the water Mars once had is now locked up in minerals.

  • Alaska GOP censures Murkowski, looks for ’22 challenger

    The Alaska Republican Party has censured U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski for voting to convict former President Donald Trump at his impeachment trial and now doesn't want her to identify as a GOP candidate in next year’s election, a member of the party’s State Central Committee said Tuesday. “The party does not want Lisa Murkowski to be a Republican candidate,” said Tuckerman Babcock, immediate past chairman of the state party. The vote to censure Murkowski was 53-17 at a Saturday meeting in Anchorage, he said.

  • US general says NORAD jets responded to more Russian military flights near Alaska last year than any year since the Cold War

    The general characterized Russia as the "most acute challenge to our homeland defense mission" in written testimony.

  • Schoolkids race electric Formula 24 cars

    These schoolkids are racing electric Formula 24 carsLocation: Getxo, SpainGreenpower Iberia supplied their schools with the basic equipmentready for the students to modify the vehicles themselvesLocation: Bilbao, SpainThe strategy for the race is to use battery power efficientlyThe team able to complete the highest number of laps within 90 minutes winsThe project started in the UK in the 1990sas a way of promoting science subjects and raising awarenessabout alternative energy sources, climate change and pollution issues(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) STUDENT ALBERTO CASTILLO, 15, SAYING:"Apart from being fun and interesting, you can learn mechanics, electrics and then you compete. You learn things from the realm of engineering, more things for the future."(SOUNDBITE) (English) STUDENT TOMAS CIFRIAN,14, SAYING:"Climate change. It's a very good idea to have electric cars to stop climate change. Make the world a bit more hospitable for us."

  • Tactical problems and Iranian politics hinder revival of nuclear talks, France says

    France's foreign minister said on Tuesday that efforts to revive nuclear talks with Iran were being held up by "tactical problems" and the domestic situation in Iran ahead of its presidential election in June. France, along with Britain, Germany and the European Union, are working to try to bring the United States and Iran to the table for informal talks that would be a first step to reviving the 2015 deal, which lifted international sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs to its nuclear programme.

  • Montana man fined for yelling at neighbor in flag dispute

    A Montana man cited for disorderly conduct for yelling at his neighbor this month in a dispute over political flags has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was fined $100, the Independent Record reported. Michael Challans of Helena said he apologized to his neighbor, Tim Mielke, before Monday's hearing in Helena Municipal Court. Challans, 43, used profanities and anti-gay slurs while yelling at Mielke as he arrived at his house on March 1.

  • Nigerian inflation hits four-year high

    Inflation in Nigeria has hit a four-year high, according to government statistics, as food prices have jumped more than 20%.It's heaping financial pressure on a population already struggling with a shrinking labor market and a stagnant economy.Inflation, which has been in the double digits since 2016, was 17.33% in February driven by the global health crisis, which has contributed to a drop in the price of Nigeria's main export. That's oil.The figure is the highest it has been since February 2017. Back then the economy was in turmoilToday it is teetering on the brink of recession, having expanded only roughly a tenth of a percent in December. Food prices also rose 21.79% in February the National Bureau of Statistics said, with staples including bread, cereals, potatoes, fruit, and oil driving the increase on the food price index.President Muhammadu Buhari has made investment in rail and road infrastructure a focus of his administration's drive to kickstart growth.Falls in public revenue, however, linked to lower oil prices, have checked that ambition.The figures are set against a rise of kidnappings in Nigeria's increasingly lawless north, as well.Some experts fear that insecurity combined with Nigeria's grim economic realities could trigger significant social unrest.

  • Vaccine passports should be free, private and secure, White House says. But who will be issuing them?

    Israel has a "green card" to prove that people have been vaccinated and other countries are contemplating requiring proof of vaccination for entry.

  • Mitch McConnell darkly threatens 'scorched earth Senate' if Democrats eliminate the filibuster

    Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is turning up the pressure against some Democrats' efforts to eliminate the filibuster. Speaking on the Senate floor on Tuesday, McConnell imagined a filibuster-free future, painting a grim picture: "Nobody serving in this chamber can even begin to imagine what a completely scorched earth Senate would look like," he said. Without the filibuster, he predicted the Senate would be "a 100 car pile-up" where "nothing moves." Some Democrats are hoping to nix the filibuster, which requires a supermajority of 60 votes to pass most pieces of legislation. Moderate Democrats and Republicans are opposed, and Politico's Burgess Everett described a blown up filibuster as the GOP's "biggest threat in the short-term." Because of that concern, McConnell threatened to push a long list of conservative policies with "zero input" from Democrats if only a simple majority is required. He listed defunding Planned Parenthood, penalizing sanctuary cities, and a national right to work law. McConnell continued by warning he'd require a quorum for everything, making past actions seem like "child's play," reports Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman. Though it's unclear why McConnell would be opposed to more easily passing his legislative priorities, there are a few reasons Democrats may not be too worried by his threats regardless. NBC News' Benjy Sarlin notes that many of these conservative policies don't have the support of 50+ Republicans anyway, and the GOP didn't use every tool available to pass them even when they held all three branches of government. The Washington Post's Dave Weigel separately argues that many Democrats may feel conservative courts hold the power on some of these issues, so Republican senators' posturing is irrelevant. Either way, analysts seem to agree with McConnell in his prediction of increased chaos and gridlock. With only 50 seats for each party, more frequent quorum requirements could "get messy quickly," and could lead to bills being passed out of pure spite. More stories from theweek.comCuomo vs. Inslee: A COVID-19 tale of two governorsThe GOP's anti-woke cul-de-sacTrump reportedly redirected a Navy hospital ship from Seattle to L.A. because Newsom was more complimentary than Inslee

  • 2 more South Carolina men arrested in connection with Jan. 6 Capitol riot

    The Monday arrests by the FBI of two young York County men brings to five the number of South Carolinians now linked in court records to the Jan. 6 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.

  • Primordial lightning strikes may have helped life emerge on Earth

    The emergence of the Earth's first living organisms billions of years ago may have been facilitated by a bolt out of the blue - or perhaps a quintillion of them. Researchers said on Tuesday that lightning strikes during the first billion years after the planet's formation roughly 4.5 billion years ago may have freed up phosphorus required for the formation of biomolecules essential to life. The study may offer insight into the origins of Earth's earliest microbial life - and potential extraterrestrial life on similar rocky planets.