Sun Nov 24 03:51:56 UTC 2024: ## Ancestry DNA Test Leads to Arrest in 27-Year-Old Cold Case
**MICHIGAN –** A 23-year-old woman’s casual decision to take an ancestry DNA test has unexpectedly led to the arrest of her grandmother in connection with the 27-year-old murder of a newborn known as “Baby Garnet.” Jenna Rose Gerwatowski revealed in a TikTok video that a detective contacted her years after she took the DNA test, informing her that her DNA was a match to the victim of a 1997 cold case.
The case involved the discovery of a deceased “term or near-term” newborn found in an outhouse at Garnet Lake Campground in Naubinway, Michigan. Further investigation linked Gerwatowski’s mother to the child, ultimately leading police to her grandmother, 61-year-old Nancy Gerwatowski, who had never met Jenna. Nancy Gerwatowski admitted to being Baby Garnet’s mother and was subsequently arrested in 2022 and charged with murder, involuntary manslaughter, and concealing the death of an individual.
Prosecutors allege that Baby Garnet died of asphyxiation and that her death could have been prevented had medical help been sought. Nancy Gerwatowski was released on bond in October 2023 with GPS monitoring and home confinement. She faces a potential life sentence if convicted. Gerwatowski’s unexpected involvement highlights the unforeseen consequences and investigative power of at-home DNA testing.
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