It's been more than three decades since the Kenosha County community was shocked by the gruesome discovery of a deceased newborn beneath a bridge in the town of Paris. Now, the case is officially closed, but the community is still left seeking answers.
On Nov. 9, 1989, a newborn boy was found deceased beneath a bridge over the Des Plaines River.
At the time, police were unable to identify the baby or the parents. But in 2022, a DNA match confirmed the identity of Baby John Doe's next of kin.
Watch: Kenosha community seeks answers as 1989 Baby John Doe case closes without charges
The Kenosha County Sheriff's Department treated the case as a homicide investigation. But now, after nearly 35 years, the case is closed and no one has been charged.
"Don't tell me that after you did all of this, you're not gonna do anything about it," Brenda Thompson said.
Thompson is a Kenosha native and said that she expected a different outcome.
"This is just so they can get out and say 'Hey we did our due diligence,' that doesn't mean anything," Thompson said. "Just because you did everything you're supposed to, you didn't do the last step and that's the most important step, [which is] charging or at least explaining."
The Kenosha County District Attorney Mike Gravely said that in this case, they identified a conflict of interest and they referred the case to the Racine County District Attorney's Office.
The Racine County District Attorney's Office was tasked with reviewing the evidence and filing criminal charges. But they determined that no charges would be filed.
Residents in Kenosha are calling for transparency as they are left with more questions than answers in this 35-year cold case.
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