My Ancestry DNA test solved the infamous Baby Garnet murder case that shocked America

A pistillate who took an at-home DNA trial ne'er thought it would beryllium the missing puzzle portion successful a decades-long acold lawsuit murder. 

Jenna Rose Gerwatowski, 23, took to TikTok to stock however she unwittingly cracked the infamous Baby Garnet case. 

In June 1997, a deceased babe was recovered successful an outhouse astatine the Garnet Lake Campground in Naubinway, Michigan. 

An autopsy revealed that the babe miss - who was determined to beryllium anyplace from the gestational property of 36 to 42 weeks aged - died from asphyxiation, which, according to officials, was preventable. 

For 27 years, the probe into who dumped the child's remains was astatine a basal inactive - until Jenna, who posted a TikTok video explaining the case, got a telephone from the Michigan State Police a twelvemonth aft submitting her DNA. 

Authorities informed her they were re-opening the lawsuit due to the fact that she 'was a nonstop match' to the infant, who was her aunt.  

After investigators conducted much probe and tested her mother's DNA, Jenna's maternal grandma Nancy Gerwatowski - who she'd ne'er met - was identified arsenic the pistillate that abandoned the baby. 

'I've ne'er made a video similar this before.  I support stumbling implicit my words... this mightiness instrumentality a fewer minutes to get through. It's a agelong story...' she explained successful the present viral video. 

'I've ne'er met my grandmother, I didn't adjacent cognize her sanction until I was 14 oregon 15 years old. This lawsuit was precise fashionable successful the municipality that I grew up successful due to the fact that it was truthful f***ed up.

'It was the Baby Garnet case... a batch of radical person questions. I'm present to commencement talking astir it.' 

About 2 years ago, I watched my champion person get an Ancestry DNA kit for Christmas. I thought it was dope. I was similar "I request 1 of those". I bought one.

'You spit successful a tube, you sent it in, and they springiness you your ancestry results. Little did I know... truthful I sent it in, got my results back.

'About a twelvemonth later, I'm astatine work, and I get a telephone call. It's a detective from the Michigan State Police.

'I commencement freaking out. He said he'd reopened the acold lawsuit from 25 years agone and your DNA is simply a nonstop lucifer to the unfortunate of this case,' she went on. 

'As the probe proceeded, detectives took Jenna's mother's DNA. They discovered she was a nonstop comparative to the baby.

'The lone different idiosyncratic that it could person been was my mom's mother. We were caput blown. She is virtually the idiosyncratic they person been looking for for 25 years. It's each due to the fact that of an Ancestry DNA kit.' 

Gerwatowski, 61, was arrested successful July 2022 and charged with 1 number each of unfastened murder, involuntary manslaughter and concealing the decease of an idiosyncratic aft she confirmed she was the parent of the lifeless child. 

At the time, Nancy delivered the newborn by herself astatine her location successful Newberry, and did not question aesculapian involution to prevention her, the authorities alleges. 

Instead, she chose to fell the dormant babe successful an outhouse astatine the campground, 'more than 20 miles retired of town,' earlier a idiosyncratic recovered the child, the authorities added. 

In October 2023 Nancy, who present resides successful Wyoming, was released connected a idiosyncratic recognizance bond, meaning a justice acceptable her escaped aft her lawsuit and transgression past was reviewed and completed during a pretrial hearing. 

She was ordered to deterioration a GPS tracking instrumentality and to stay nether location confinement. 

In May 2024, the Michigan Department of Attorney General announced she volition basal proceedings for the transgression after Honorable Beth Ann Gibson of the 92nd District Court successful St. Ignace issued an Opinion and Order implicit Nancy. 

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel credited advancements successful genetics investigating for solving the case. 

'Thanks to the unthinkable efforts of investigators crossed 3 decades, we are yet capable to prosecute justness for Baby Garnet much than 25 years aft her tragic death,' Nessel said. 

'In 1997, genetics investigating was obscurity adjacent arsenic blase arsenic it is today, and I americium grateful for the enactment of detectives and responders on-scene to sphere captious grounds successful this matter.

'Prosecutors successful my bureau are capable to bring astir this long-delayed transgression proceedings due to the fact that of twenty-seven years of dependable constabulary work, technological advancement, grounds preservation, and diligent authorities and section detectives who ne'er gave up connected justness for this babe victim,' she added

She is expected to to look earlier the 11th Circuit Court successful Mackinac County connected December 12, 2024 for a question hearing, according to tribunal records reviewed by DailyMail.com. 

DailyMail.com contacted the Michigan Department of Attorney General and Nancy's lawyer for comment.