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WINONA, Minn. 鈥� The biological mother of the dead newborn found floating on the Mississippi River in 2011 is facing criminal charges.

Jennifer Nichole Baechle, 43, is facing two counts of second-degree manslaughter for allegedly placing her newborn in a white tote bag and sending it down the Mississippi River in 2011.

鈥淲hile today鈥檚 arrest and charges cannot bring her back, we hope these charges can help the community heal,鈥� said Catherine Knutson, deputy superintendent of forensic science services at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Joe Ahlquist / Post Bulletin

The charges, which were filed in Winona County District Court on Thursday, April 24, revealed that law enforcement connected Baechle鈥檚 DNA to the DNA samples collected from the objects found inside the bag.

The newborn was found concealed in a white tote bag on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi River on Sept. 5, 2011, by boaters. The 7-pound baby was found swaddled under a green T-shirt inside two plastic bags that also contained a seeing-eye bracelet, incense and four small porcelain angels.

Six months after the discovery of the infant, more than 150 residents honored the newborn in Winona's St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Baby Angel was laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery, where her gravestone stands today. A community-wide effort in Winona funded the grave marker, and members of the sheriff鈥檚 office replace the flowers near her grave every year.

鈥淭he community wrapped its arms around the little girl,鈥� Winona County Sheriff Ron Ganrude said during Thursday鈥檚 press conference.

Dave Brand, the former Winona County Sheriff who retired in 2014, said he feels a 鈥渟ense of closure鈥� now that charges have been filed. Brand said that in all his years as an investigator, he cannot understand what brings a person to do that to a child.

鈥淚 feel kind of sad,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hinking back at the funeral, the little baby didn鈥檛 even know what was going on in the world. I鈥檓 upset with the person that was involved.鈥�

Brand said they are considering changing Baby Angel鈥檚 gravestone to no longer say the investigation is ongoing. The sheriff鈥檚 office will continue changing the flowers at the gravesite each year.

Photo courtesy of Minnesota and Wisconsin K9 Search and Rescue.

Nearly a decade after the infant鈥檚 death, Winona County deputies sought the assistance of a forensics genealogy company that has a history of helping law enforcement identify unidentified human remains. When Baby Angel was initially discovered, forensic genealogy was not well known. Law enforcement attempted to follow leads connected to the figurines found in the bag with the newborn, but none led to finding Baby Angel鈥檚 parents.

Firebird Forensics Group provided the Winona County Sheriff鈥檚 Office with a possible lead to a 41-year-old woman living in Winona in March 2023, the Post Bulletin previously reported. Deputies searched the woman鈥檚 trash. According to the Minnesota BCA test, a DNA sample from the trash shows the woman is a possible biological match with a blood sample taken from the infant.

In a , investigators narrowed their search for the identity of the baby鈥檚 mother. The sheriff鈥檚 office was using the warrant to ask for permission to obtain a DNA sample directly from Baby Angel鈥檚 suspected mother.

Contributed / Winona County Sheriff's Office

Deputies submitted Baechle's DNA for testing around March 19, 2024. The results indicated there was strong evidence to support the biological relationship between Baechle and the newborn, the criminal complaint said.

After receiving the DNA test results, the sheriff鈥檚 office spoke with members of Baechle鈥檚 family, who told law enforcement they did not have personal contact with Baechle in 2011. They said she was living in her van in the Winona area in 2011.

When deputies showed photos of the items found with the newborn in the white tote bag, Baechle鈥檚 family members 鈥渋mmediately recognized鈥� the blue pendant. According to the complaint, her family members also said Baechle was gifted an angel ornament every Christmas. Baechle collected the angel ornaments.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension concluded on March 17, 2025, that the DNA on the incense stick matches in the bag matched the DNA of Baechle.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have all the answers, but we know who is responsible,鈥� Ganrude said at the press conference.

Joe Ahlquist / Post Bulletin

Winona County Attorney Karin Sonneman confirmed during the press conference that Baechle is a mother of two children and currently lives in Winona.

She appeared in court Thursday morning, April 24, and was placed on $200,000 unconditional bail or $20,000 conditional bail. As part of Baechle鈥檚 conditions, she will be on a GPS monitor and will not be permitted to leave the state.

Baechle is scheduled to appear in court for an omnibus hearing on July 7.

An autopsy was conducted on Sept. 6, 2011, the day after the infant was found. The medical examiner determined the infant was likely born within a day or two of her discovery. Part of the umbilical cord attached to the infant appeared to be cut by someone with a sharp-edged instrument. The complaint said it was not cut by a medical provider. The medical examiner also found bleeding on the infant鈥檚 brain and fractures on the front and side of her skull, the complaint said.

In 2024, an updated autopsy review revealed that the infant 鈥渟ustained injuries of the head while alive.鈥� The injuries would not have occurred if a medical professional had assisted with the birth. The medical examiner concluded it did not appear that the infant received medical treatment during or after birth.

鈥淎s the biological mother of the infant, Defendant had a duty to seek medical care on behalf of the infant during pregnancy, birth, and immediately after birth,鈥� the complaint said.

Winona Chief Deputy Jeff Mueller said Baechle has been on their radar since 2023, when the forensics genealogy company provided law enforcement with a possible lead to Baechle. When deputies asked Baechle to provide a DNA sample, she asked for more time to consider it and to research Firebird Forensics Group.

Soon after her second request for additional time, a criminal defense lawyer sent a letter to the sheriff鈥檚 office requesting that any future contact with Baechle be made through the attorney.

During Thursday鈥檚 press conference, Sonneman said Baechle鈥檚 DNA is the only parent whose DNA appeared.