In a breakthrough development over four decades in the making, a 65-year-old woman from Arizona has been charged with murder following the discovery of a newborn girl who was suffocated and abandoned on a North Dakota college campus. This pivotal arrest was made possible thanks to advances in DNA technology.

Nancy Jean Trottier, a resident of Sun Lakes, Arizona, was brought before the court in Barnes County. Her connection to the infant, known for years only as “Rebecca,” was established through DNA evidence, as reported by Valley News Live in North Dakota.

The tragic discovery dates back to April 16, 1981, when the newborn’s body was found in a wooded area behind a dormitory at Valley City State College. The infant, with her umbilical cord still attached, was suffocated with a plastic covering placed over her face.

An autopsy revealed that the baby, later named “Rebecca” by investigators, had been born alive approximately three days prior to her body being found. Her death was attributed to acute asphyxia, a condition consistent with suffocation, according to reports.

For decades, the mystery of Rebecca’s identity and the circumstances of her death remained unsolved. However, the recent arrest of Nancy Jean Trottier marks a significant step in closing this 45-year-old cold case, bringing long-awaited progress in the quest for justice for the infant known as “Rebecca.” The case underscores the transformative power of modern DNA technology in solving historical cases.

For years, investigators had no suspect and no identity for the child. Police gave the baby the name “Rebecca” before she was buried.

The case was reopened in 2019 after advances in DNA technology. Authorities exhumed the child’s remains and used genetic genealogy to track down possible relatives.

Valley City State College became Valley City State University in 1987, about five years after Trottier attended the school. (Google Maps)

The investigation eventually led to Trottier, who attended the college from 1978 to 1982.

During a 2021 interview, Trottier reportedly became emotional and told investigators, “maybe it was me” and “It could be, maybe it was me,” according to court documents obtained by Valley News Live and KVLY-TV.

DNA results returned in 2023 provided a breakthrough.

Nancy Jean Trottier is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing and arraignment on May 21. (Stutsman County Correctional Center)

Investigators said it is 3.481 quadrillion times more likely that Trottier and her husband are the biological parents of the infant than unrelated individuals, the outlets reported. DNA consistent with Trottier was also found on tissue paper recovered at the scene.

Trottier now faces a Class AA felony murder charge. She was being held on $750,000 bond, according to online court records.

She is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing and arraignment on May 21.

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