Christian County authorities arrest woman wanted in a baby’s death 32 years ago
CLEVER, Mo. (KCRG/KY3) - Christian County deputies arrested a woman wanted in the death of her baby in Iowa in 1992.
Cindy Sue Elder, 58, formerly known as Cindy Sue Eckrich, faces a count of first-degree murder. She was booked into the Christian County Jail. She has been living in Clever.
Police say on December 21, 1992, the body of a baby boy was found at the Iowa City Landfill. The Iowa City Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation launched an extensive investigation into the death of baby John Doe.
The circumstances then around both the birth and death were unclear, along with limitations in DNA technology. Due to advances in DNA testing, investigators reopened the case in October 2020.
“This case exemplifies our commitment to crime victims, especially ones so vulnerable,” said Iowa City Police Chief Dustin Liston. “I am grateful for the dedication, partnerships, and technological advances that have made this arrest possible.”
In February 2022, Elder spoke with investigators while living in Clever. Investigators say she admitted to giving birth in an Iowa City home. Investigators say Elder told police the baby was alive when he was born and that she “did something” to quiet him down. She then put him in a plastic bag before putting the bag in a trash receptacle in Coralville, near her father’s home.
Investigators say Elder told them she did not want to be pregnant and that she did not tell anyone she was pregnant, including the baby’s father. She told investigators she never got prenatal care for the pregnancy and would punch herself in the stomach to try and have a miscarriage.
The baby’s father told police he didn’t know Elder was pregnant or that she had a baby.
The Safe Haven Act, which went into effect in 2002, allows parents to give up babies until they’re 90 days out without facing charges.
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