In November 2001, the stays of an unidentified new child, later named “Angel Child Doe,” had been found between the cities of Alvarado and Burleson. The toddler was discovered wrapped in a jacket with the umbilical twine nonetheless hooked up, in response to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Workplace. The kid was decided to be a feminine who had been born alive and had lately died.
Investigators deemed the loss of life a results of foul play and labored tirelessly for greater than twenty years to determine the toddler. In June 2021, forensic proof was submitted to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas, for superior DNA testing. Othram scientists developed a DNA profile for the toddler and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to construct a complete profile. This led to intensive genetic family tree analysis, offering new investigative leads.
The follow-up investigation recognized the toddler’s mom, Shelby Stotts, who has been indicted on a number of expenses, together with second-degree manslaughter. In keeping with the Texas Lawyer Common’s Workplace, Stotts recklessly brought about the loss of life of her new child daughter by leaving the infant unattended on the facet of the highway, failing to hunt immediate medical care, and failing to clamp the umbilical twine, which brought about the kid to bleed to loss of life.
Othram’s prices for laboratory and investigative efforts had been coated by a DNASolves crowdfund. “We’re grateful to everybody that helped crowdfund this case and different DNASolves circumstances,” acknowledged the supply.
The identification of Shelby Stotts marks the fifteenth case in Texas the place officers have publicly recognized a person utilizing know-how developed by Othram. The Texas Lawyer Common’s Workplace and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Workplace have labored collectively on the case since June 2022. DNA samples taken from Stotts and Angel Child Doe confirmed that Stotts was the organic mom.
“After greater than twenty years, we’re nearer to securing justice for Angel Child Doe and making certain that the particular person accountable for this tragedy is held accountable,” mentioned Lawyer Common Ken Paxton. “I’m grateful for our investigators’ expertise and tenacity, and I commend the regulation enforcement professionals with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Workplace for his or her dedication to uncovering the reality.”
Stotts, who was employed by Cleburne ISD at Cleburne Excessive Faculty on the time of her indictment and arrest, is not employed by the district. “Cleburne ISD takes these allegations very critically,” learn a short assertion from the district. “Shelby Stotts is not employed by Cleburne ISD.”
Stotts was booked into the Johnson County Jail on a $100,000 bond, in response to county jail data.
