Woman Who Allegedly Abandoned 'Angel Baby Doe,' Resulting in Infant’s Death, Arrested in Texas After 20 Years: Authorities
A baby finally gets justice, almost two decades later, as the person who abandoned and left her to die by bleeding might have finally been apprehended, the Texas Attorney General claims.
A woman, Shelby Stotts, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter for allegedly causing the death of her newborn daughter in Texas in 2001, Attorney General Ken Paxton states. The baby was found on the Briaroaks Road in a ditch between the towns of Alvarado and Burleson.
The indictment against Stotts has been secured by Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, and the Office of the Attorney General’s (“OAG”) Missing Persons and Cold Case Unit.
As per the indictment, Stotts allegedly caused the death of her newborn by leaving her unattended on the side of a road, not seeking proper medical care after the baby's birth, and failing to clamp the baby's umbilical cord, Texas Attorney General states.
The indictment claims, that failure to remove the baby's umbilical cord ultimately resulted in her bleeding to death. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office named the baby "Angel Baby Doe."
Over the years, multiple individuals have been investigated by detectives to find Angel Baby Doe's murderer, but to no avail, the Texas Attorney General states. In June 2022, the Attorney General’s Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit was requested for assistance in this particular case.
Stott's DNA sample was matched with 'Angel Baby Doe' in September 2023, the Texas Attorney General stated. The DNA samples matched indicating that Stotts was the biological mother. No information has been given on how Stott became a person of interest.
Further analysis implied that the child was alive and breathing at the time of birth. Authorities claim that Stott abandoned her baby.
Since it is a cold case, Stotts will be tried under the laws that were in effect at the time of the offense, the Texas Attorney General states.
"After more than twenty years, we are closer to securing justice for Angel Baby Doe and ensuring that the person responsible for this tragedy is held accountable," said Attorney General Paxton. "I am thankful for our investigators' talent and tenacity, and I commend the law enforcement professionals with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office for their dedication to uncovering the truth."
Stotts was working in Cleburne High School at the time of her arrest, Fox reported. Cleburne High School released a statement to the outlet where they shared that they were "aware of the arrest and grand jury indictment of Shelby Stotts. Cleburne ISD takes these allegations very seriously. Shelby Stotts is no longer employed by Cleburne ISD."
Stotts is being held at the Johnson County Jail against a $100,000 bond, Fox reported.