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#Post#: 5327--------------------------------------------------
BABY JACOB GERARD: WM, found at a church in Vernon, NJ - 27 Feb
1994
By: Akoya Date: May 16, 2020, 1:06 pm
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HTML https://i.imgur.com/KT3wusa.png
Found at a church in Vernon, New Jersey.
#Post#: 5328--------------------------------------------------
Re: BABY JACOB GERARD: WM, found at a church in Vernon, NJ - 27
Feb 1994
By: Akoya Date: May 16, 2020, 1:08 pm
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HTML https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/1719
HTML https://i.imgur.com/CjBtGw7.png
Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP 1719Male, White / Caucasian
Date Found February 27, 1994
Location Found Newton, New Jersey
Estimated Age Range 0 Years
Case Information
Case Numbers
NCMEC Number--
ME/C Case Number 19940052
Demographics
Sex Male
Race / Ethnicity White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group Infant
Estimated Age Range 0 Years
Estimated Year of Death 1994
Estimated PMI--
Height 1' 9"(21 inches) , Estimated
Weight 7 lbs, Measured
Circumstances
Type Unidentified Deceased
Date Found February 27, 1994
NamUs Case Created April 1, 2008
Agency QA Reviewed--
Location Found Map
General Location--Newton, New Jersey
County Sussex County
GPS Coordinates--
Circumstances of Recovery Found at a church in Vernon, New
Jersey.
Details of Recovery
Inventory of Remains All parts recovered
Condition of Remains Recognizable face
Physical Description
Hair Color Blond/Strawberry
Head Hair Description Blond/Strawberry
Left Eye Color Blue
Right Eye Color Blue
Eye Description Blue
Distinctive Physical Features
No Known Information
Clothing and Accessories
Clothing
Not described in NCIC.
On the Body
Investigating Agencies
VERNON TWP PD
Sussex Co ME Office
Case Contributors
Anna Delaney, Forensic Anthropologist(609) 584-5054 ext. 5656 |
lppdelaan@gw.njsp.org
New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Services
(609) 584-5054
#Post#: 5329--------------------------------------------------
Re: BABY JACOB GERARD: WM, found at a church in Vernon, NJ - 27
Feb 1994
By: Akoya Date: May 16, 2020, 1:14 pm
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HTML https://listverse.com/2014/08/23/10-strange-church-mysteries-that-are-still-unsolved/
10 Strange Church Mysteries That Are Still Unsolved
ROBIN WARDER AUGUST 23, 2014
HTML https://i.imgur.com/EGk4cmi.jpg
The Abandonment Of Baby Jacob Gerard
Following Sunday service on the morning of February 27, 1994,
the congregation of the Holy Counselor Lutheran Church in
Vernon, New Jersey made a shocking discovery: the body of a
newborn baby boy lying in the snow outside one of the church
windows. The unidentified child weighed approximately 3
kilograms (7 lb), and his naked body was wrapped in a thin
blanket.
Unfortunately, the infant was frozen solid, so an autopsy could
not be performed until the body thawed three days later. The
child was likely placed outside the church sometime during the
night and died of hypothermia and exposure in the freezing
temperatures. The umbilical cord was still attached to the
child’s body but looked as if it had been torn rather than cut,
suggesting he wasn’t born at a hospital.
The church held a memorial service for the unidentified child
and buried him behind the church in North Hardyston Cemetery.
The biblical story of Jacob happened to be the subject of their
sermon on the morning he was found, and St. Gerard is the Roman
Catholic patron saint of newborn children, so they named the
child Jacob Gerard. Since Baby Jacob appeared to be perfectly
healthy before his abandonment, the case was classified as a
homicide. DNA was taken from his blanket in an attempt to
determine who was responsible for his death, but 20 years later,
Jacob Gerard remains unidentified.
HTML https://i.imgur.com/EGk4cmi.jpg
#Post#: 5330--------------------------------------------------
Re: BABY JACOB GERARD: WM, found at a church in Vernon, NJ - 27
Feb 1994
By: Akoya Date: May 16, 2020, 1:16 pm
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HTML http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2102umnj.html
2102UMNJ - Unidentified Male
HTML https://i.imgur.com/t2C7IzU.jpg
Date of Discovery: February 27, 1994
Location of Discovery: Vernon, Sussex County, New Jersey
Estimated Date of Death: February 27, 1994
State of Remains: Recognizable face
Cause of Death: Homicide by acute hypothermia and winter freeze
exposure
Physical Description
Estimated Age: Less than 2 months old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 1'8" - 1'10"
Weight: 7 pounds
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Blue
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown
Identifiers
Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Available. Full x-rays are available for comparison
Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: He was wrapped in a rabbit-patterned crib sheet and a
blue bath towel
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
Circumstances of Discovery
The body of a newborn was found near the entrance to the Holy
Counselor Lutheran Church at the North Hardyston Cemetery in
Vernon minutes before Sunday services. He had been left in a
secluded notch outside of a lobby window that was hidden by
shrubs. Overnight temperatures had been near zero with 20-30 mph
winds. His body was frozen solid. An autopsy later revealed the
baby had been born healthy and was alive when placed outside the
church. His umbilical cord appeared torn rather than cut.
Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: New Jersey State Police
Agency Phone Number: 800-709-7090
Agency E-Mail: missingp@gw.njsp.org
Agency Case Number: 94-1554
Agency Name: Morris Tri-County Medical Examiner Office
Agency Phone Number: 973-829-8270
Agency Case Number: 19940052
Agency Name: Vernon Township Police Department
Agency Phone Number: 973-764-6155
NCIC Case Number: U728440673
NamUs Case Number: 1719
Former Hot Case Number: 1560
Information Source(s)
NamUs
New Jersey State Police
Admin Notes
Added: Prior to 2013; Last Updated: 4/30/18
#Post#: 5331--------------------------------------------------
Re: BABY JACOB GERARD: WM, found at a church in Vernon, NJ - 27
Feb 1994
By: Akoya Date: May 16, 2020, 1:17 pm
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HTML http://www.njherald.com/story/19139082/many-unsolved-murders-still-a-mystery-today
Many unsolved murders still a mystery today
Posted: Jul. 28, 2012 10:32 pm Updated: Sep. 22, 2012 10:51 pm
SUSSEX COUNTY -- Recent news articles focused on the 30-year
unsolved murder of an unidentified teenage girl whose body was
found in the Cedar Ridge Cemetery in Blairstown on July 15,
1982. Dubbed "Princess Doe," the unknown girl was laid to rest
in the cemetery nearby where her body was found.
HTML https://i.imgur.com/EGk4cmi.jpg
A more recent murder is that of the infant baby boy found frozen
to death outside the Holy Counselor Church in Vernon. The
infant, named Jacob Gerard, was on Feb. 28, 1994. Ferguson's
Vernon Funeral Home donated a casket, a plot of ground and a
marker in the North Hardyston Cemetery on Route 94 where the
infant could rest in peace.
#Post#: 5332--------------------------------------------------
Re: BABY JACOB GERARD: WM, found at a church in Vernon, NJ - 27
Feb 1994
By: Akoya Date: May 16, 2020, 1:21 pm
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HTML http://www.njherald.com/story/13537017/about-the-sussex-county-cold-case-unit
About the Sussex County Cold Case Unit
Posted: Nov. 19, 2010 12:04 pm Updated: Nov. 28, 2011 8:35 pm
Police and prosecutors don't forget unsolved crime cases. But
they often don't have the resources to keep old cases on the
front burner while also working on the current caseload. This,
in turn, may create a public perception that not all that could
be done is being done.
A new unit of the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office has been
established with the goal of using modern technology, fresh
leads and more resources to ultimately solve what are known as
"cold cases." In this instance, the term applies specifically to
six unsolved murders in Sussex County.
This is good news, particularly for families and friends of
victims, who have had to live for many years without closure
because those responsible for their loved ones' deaths have not
been brought to justice.
The Sussex County Cold Case Unit will upgrade investigation of
the unsolved murders by resubmitting evidence to the state
police laboratories for further examination using advanced
technology in many cases not available when the evidence was
originally tested. The county's decision to scrutinize existing
evidence through state-of-the-art means, such as DNA testing, is
a smart decision that could lead to new information about these
old cases. Technology represents a key reason why the unit was
formed.
But the human element may ultimately be responsible for its
success. The new unit features substantial staffing and relies
in part on public participation. Assistant Prosecutor Bruce
LaCarrubba leads a staff of six investigators. A 24-hour
cold-case hotline (973-383-8830) has been set up, to be used in
conjunction with the Prosecutor's Office number (973-383-1570).
The new unit hopes to get new information from people who may
have seen or heard something suspicious in the years since these
crimes were committed. Anonymous calls are accepted.
Additionally, the Sussex County Sheriff's Crime Stoppers program
offers $1,000 rewards for tips that lead to an arrest.
Prosecutor David Weaver and Charles Catalano, chief of
detectives, first discussed the idea of a cold cases unit
shortly after Weaver took office in June 2003. They made the
unit a priority and received positive feedback and a willingness
to assist from local departments and state police. Funding
currently comes from the Prosecutor's Office budget, so it would
behoove the freeholders to take this important development into
account when formulating future budgets.
Weaver and Catalano initially set their sights on these murders:
* Lisa McBride, 27, of Vernon, in 1990;
* Edward Baker, 37, of Vernon, in 1979;
* an unidentified woman found in High Point State Park in 1980;
* Joseph Hoffman, 69, of Wantage, in 1989;
* Lynette Herring, 24, of Newburgh, N.Y., found in Montague in
1992;
* Baby Jacob Gerard, found at a Vernon church in 1994.
The county Prosecutor's Office has investigated 47 homicides
since 1978. The goal of the new unit is to leave zero unsolved,
using, as LaCarrubba said, "a new set of eyes." For the sake of
the loved ones of victims, and the public at large, we hope it
is successful.
#Post#: 5333--------------------------------------------------
Re: BABY JACOB GERARD: WM, found at a church in Vernon, NJ - 27
Feb 1994
By: Akoya Date: May 16, 2020, 1:22 pm
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HTML http://www.njherald.com/story/29487385/sussex-county-prosecutors-office-warms-cold-cases
Sussex County Prosecutor's office warms cold cases
Posted: Jul. 6, 2015 11:57 pm Updated: Jul. 10, 2015 12:57 am
By JOE CARLSON
jcarlson@njherald.com
NEWTON -- The job they do is much like that of the former CBS
crime procedural television series "Cold Case," find new leads
and solve cases that the public may have forgotten about.
But the cold case unit of the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office
is different -- it's not a separate unit at all, but consists of
detectives working on the office's six unsolved cold cases in
between their regular duties.
"No one here is full-time on cold cases," said Chief of
Detectives Thomas McCormick. "No one of our size is."
Because the office has other cases to tend to, it is sometimes a
challenge to "put the puzzle" together, McCormick said.
"Each case is like a puzzle. The problem with putting the puzzle
together is that you can't keep walking away from the puzzle as
you are doing it," he said.
The Sussex County Prosecutor's Office consists of nine assistant
prosecutors and approximately 20 detectives. It is currently
investigating six unsolved homicides, dating back to 1979.
Sussex County First Assistant Prosecutor Gregory Mueller said
cases become cold when "every possible lead available to
detectives in an active case has been exhausted."
-Edward Baker, 37, of Vernon, in 1979.
-An unidentified woman found in High Point State Park in 1980.
- Joseph Hoffman, 69, of Wantage, in 1989.
-Lisa McBride, 27, of Vernon in 1990.
- Lynette Herring, 24, of Newburgh, N.Y., found in Montague in
1992.
- Baby Jacob Gerard, found at a Vernon church in 1994.
Mueller, though declining to go into details, said the office
has made "substantial progress" on all of the cases and that
they all remain active investigations.
Since 1978, Mueller said, the office has investigated
approximately 60 homicides and none have gone unsolved since
1994.
The 1999 murder of Sussex resident James Coursen went unsolved
for 13 years before the prosecutor's office was able to link
Jerry L. Vandermark, of Wantage to the killing through
eyewitness testimony and jailhouse informants in 2012.
Vandermark eventually pleaded guilty to the murder.
McCormick, Mueller and Prosecutor Francis Koch said that as the
years pass since the investigations into each homicide began,
new technology is created that can help solve the crimes.
McCormick said the prosecutor's office uses several specialty
labs to try to tie up loose ends on cases.
"As technology advances further, we are prepared to go further,"
he said.
But the most important tool they utilize is the public, all
three said.
"Please do not assume we know things," Koch said. "There is a
great chance you know something that we don't. And if we do know
some of it, there is a chance you have details we don't."
"It's surprising to me how much people know but are unwilling to
share," McCormick said, adding that someone must have seen the
deceased before their deaths, or saw someone dump a body or saw
who they were with.
"The smallest bit of information could be the case cracker," he
said. "The families deserve closure."
Anyone with information regarding the cases is asked to call the
Sussex County Prosecutor's Office at 973-383-1570. Anonymous
calls are accepted.
In the coming weeks, the New Jersey Herald will highlight the
cases the prosecutor's office are hoping to solve.
#Post#: 5334--------------------------------------------------
Re: BABY JACOB GERARD: WM, found at a church in Vernon, NJ - 27
Feb 1994
By: Akoya Date: May 16, 2020, 1:24 pm
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Holy Counselor Lutheran Church
Lutheran church in Sussex County, New Jersey
Address: 68 Sand Hill Rd, Sussex, NJ 07461
Holy Counselor Lutheran Church, ELCA Conveniently located near
Mountain Creek just off of Route 94, 1 mile up Sand Hill Road in
Vernon, NJ
HTML https://i.imgur.com/AbYp9k8.jpg
The sanctuary of Holy Counselor Lutheran Church ...
HTML https://i.imgur.com/RU47yHz.jpg
HTML https://i.imgur.com/msgScMd.jpg
#Post#: 5335--------------------------------------------------
Re: BABY JACOB GERARD: WM, found at a church in Vernon, NJ - 27
Feb 1994
By: Akoya Date: May 16, 2020, 1:25 pm
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Cold Case - Baby Jacob Gerard | News Photos | New Jersey Herald
New Jersey Herald
... Holy Counselor Lutheran Church in Vernon on a cold February
morning in 1994. Donald talks about that day and the reaction of
the congregation.
#Post#: 5336--------------------------------------------------
Re: BABY JACOB GERARD: WM, found at a church in Vernon, NJ - 27
Feb 1994
By: Akoya Date: May 16, 2020, 1:27 pm
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[img]
HTML https://www.google.com/maps/vt/data=nY5b5hlqdHFHaKm2rlplg59zjq3hvTGo2AkuYUcV0ReP-hqywDenCms4ONTzikvoFqHhG6j2Og2wuIHLx79PzJ92-c7ifVXoDvexoCLpo1ciCKVf8u6zioroYilEIDRawO6w60Tpb_RTLh_4ETTjJzamz2sCJVT7QBOaUm9lmMcshmELlMxOi4twtzaFtDGqyBnvYKNcA2If1DQGndMbj5Dop6NaETJdNSsKMC0-CBFDbWQJll-p2syyt6-CYXCLg6vJIkhif-EHnBwt2805rzxJCo5SiRlT5-fqZKfo9nHVjQ6ar9Yf[/img]
Vernon Township
New Jersey
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