A year after a body was found in a garbage truck in Ohio, the death of a baby leads to few clues

Previous reports on this story can be found in the video player above.

PLAIN CITY, Ohio (WCMH) – A year after a toddler was found in a garbage truck in central Ohio, the search for evidence continues.

According to Central Ohio Crime Stoppers, there have been few clues so far as to what happened to the newborn, and investigators are still actively seeking more information about the little girl’s death.

On June 15, 2023, Plain City Police officers responded to a call from the village’s contracted waste disposal company. When they arrived in the 100 block of Bluestem Lane, a full-term newborn baby girl was found in the rear collection point of the garbage truck.

At 2:33 p.m., Pleasant Valley Joint Fire District medical personnel pronounced the infant dead. The body was removed from the scene and taken for an autopsy by the Montgomery County Medical Examiner’s Office, which assisted in the case.

Police initially believed the girl, later named “Madison,” was between zero days and one month old. A Plain City police news release said a preliminary autopsy showed the newborn was a girl and that the umbilical cord was still present.

In December, a report from the Madison County Medical Examiner’s Office said the baby suffered multiple fractures and blunt force trauma to the head, neck, torso, pelvis and extremities. The report did not specify the exact cause of death or whether it was natural, an accident or homicide.

Madison County Coroner James Kaehr released a statement that said, in part, “Madison’s body had numerous injuries and abnormalities. Some of these could be fatal in isolation, meaning they could cause death even if they were the only abnormality present. Without more information about when and how each abnormality occurred, we cannot determine with reasonable certainty which one (or combination) ultimately led to Madison’s death.”

Police have reviewed footage from nearby cameras, including doorbell cameras and other surveillance cameras, but no suspects have been named yet.

Plain City residents gathered the following weekend to mourn Madison’s loss. The memorial service was organized by Plain City emergency responders, who surrounded the hearse as the casket was placed and saluted. Hundreds of cars followed the hearse to Forest Grove Cemetery, while many residents gathered on the sidewalk to hand flowers to passing cars.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for any information leading to the arrest and/or indictment of the person(s) responsible for this crime. Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to call 614-461-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrime.org and submit their tip.