‘Baby John’ Murder Mystery Finally Cracked After Mom Confesses to Killing Infant in 1986, Police Say
HUNT IS OVER
The Greenwich, Connecticut, Police Department on Friday finally arrested and charged Janita Philips, 62, in connection with the 1986 murder of a newborn nicknamed “Baby John.” Police said that during a September interview in Florida, Philips finally confessed that she was the baby’s mom and had caused the infant’s death. In 1986, the baby was found in a sanitation truck that had just picked up trash from a dumpster at a Connecticut apartment building, and investigators determined he’d been strangled. It wasn’t until recently that police were able to link the baby to Philips with DNA evidence obtained from trash at her home in Florida, where she moved after the alleged murder. In September, she confessed and said she hid her pregnancy from her husband. “I didn’t want to crash his dreams and fall down the rabbit hole of having a bunch of kids and stuck with bills and not being able to care for them or get to achieve his dreams,” she said.
GPD Deputy Chief Robert Berry said in a statement that after many long years, his office was grateful to obtain justice for the baby. “The investigation of his tragic death has taken many long years, but he has always been remembered and we hope this conclusion will bring him peace and recognition,” Berry said. Philips was transported to court for same-day arraignment and was held on a bond set at $50,000.