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(Iowa City, IA) -- A woman is facing first-degree murder charges in connection with a 1992 cold case after police say she admitted to placing her newborn son in a plastic bag and leaving him in a Coralville trash can.
The baby’s body was discovered at the Iowa City landfill in December 1992, but the case went cold due to limited information and the DNA technology available at the time.
The investigation was reopened in October 2020.
Now, police say DNA evidence has identified Cindy Sue Elder as the baby’s mother. Investigators report that Elder told them the baby was born alive, but she is unsure how he died. She admitted to hiding the pregnancy and disposing of the baby shortly after birth.
Police have determined that Elder’s actions resulted in the baby boy’s death.
Elder was arrested in Missouri and will be extradited to Iowa to face charges.