Mourners Bury Baby Doe; 4-Year-Old Mystery Lives
Chase City, VA (United States):
The small headstone says "Baby Doe. Sept. 15, 2001."
That Saturday night, the infant's body was discovered in the outdoor bathroom at the Eastland Creek Boat Ramp in Mecklenburg County. The landing is a short distance from Buggs Island Lake.
Initially, investigators thought the child was female, but the state medical examiner's office in Richmond determined that it was a male about 4 or 5 months old.
Officials are not revealing the cause of death.Mecklenburg County Sheriff Danny Fox said the body was held in Richmond since then; authorities had hoped a medical advance would allow them to glean additional information about the baby's death.But now, Fox said, "We just wanted to go ahead and put the baby to rest."About 50 people attended yesterday's graveside service at Woodland Cemetery in Chase City to mourn a child none knew.Betty Simmons said she was there because "all children are in my heart."
As she sobbed and wiped tears from her face, Simmons told how she has two daughters, one of whom is deceased, and two grandchildren. "All children just mean so much to me," she said.Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Petra Haskins said she would have attended even if she were not representing her office."Caring people need to be there when a baby is interred," she said.Fox said his department is still investigating the case and the Mecklenburg County Crime Solvers is offering up to $1,000 for information."We've been trying to find out who might have done such a thing, but we haven't had much success," Fox said.
If nothing else, Haskins said, she would like to see investigators determine the child's name. "It's horrible for a child to be buried without his name," she said.Glenn Wood of Wood Funeral Home held the tiny casket with gentleness and respect as he helped to place it in the ground.Wood said he was glad to see so many people attend.His family's funeral home donated the arrangements and Newsom Monument Co. contributed the headstone.
"A lot of things we don't have here, [but] we've got some good people," Wood said. During the brief service, the Rev. Don Wilson of Mecklenburg County led those in attendance in singing "Jesus Loves Me," and the Rev. Gene Burris, also from Mecklenburg, encouraged the mourners to continue to visit the grave as if they belonged to the baby's family."We do not know what he would have become, but we know where he is," Burris said. "He's with his Father."
Sep 28, 2005
Jamie C. Ruff, Richmond Times Dispatch, VA
Chase City, VA (United States):
The small headstone says "Baby Doe. Sept. 15, 2001."
That Saturday night, the infant's body was discovered in the outdoor bathroom at the Eastland Creek Boat Ramp in Mecklenburg County. The landing is a short distance from Buggs Island Lake.
Initially, investigators thought the child was female, but the state medical examiner's office in Richmond determined that it was a male about 4 or 5 months old.
Officials are not revealing the cause of death.Mecklenburg County Sheriff Danny Fox said the body was held in Richmond since then; authorities had hoped a medical advance would allow them to glean additional information about the baby's death.But now, Fox said, "We just wanted to go ahead and put the baby to rest."About 50 people attended yesterday's graveside service at Woodland Cemetery in Chase City to mourn a child none knew.Betty Simmons said she was there because "all children are in my heart."
As she sobbed and wiped tears from her face, Simmons told how she has two daughters, one of whom is deceased, and two grandchildren. "All children just mean so much to me," she said.Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Petra Haskins said she would have attended even if she were not representing her office."Caring people need to be there when a baby is interred," she said.Fox said his department is still investigating the case and the Mecklenburg County Crime Solvers is offering up to $1,000 for information."We've been trying to find out who might have done such a thing, but we haven't had much success," Fox said.
If nothing else, Haskins said, she would like to see investigators determine the child's name. "It's horrible for a child to be buried without his name," she said.Glenn Wood of Wood Funeral Home held the tiny casket with gentleness and respect as he helped to place it in the ground.Wood said he was glad to see so many people attend.His family's funeral home donated the arrangements and Newsom Monument Co. contributed the headstone.
"A lot of things we don't have here, [but] we've got some good people," Wood said. During the brief service, the Rev. Don Wilson of Mecklenburg County led those in attendance in singing "Jesus Loves Me," and the Rev. Gene Burris, also from Mecklenburg, encouraged the mourners to continue to visit the grave as if they belonged to the baby's family."We do not know what he would have become, but we know where he is," Burris said. "He's with his Father."
Sep 28, 2005
Jamie C. Ruff, Richmond Times Dispatch, VA
