A woman from Long Island, New York, has been arrested three decades after she reportedly admitted to killing a crying baby in 1993 by stuffing a paper towel down the infant’s throat.
Denise Merker was arrested on February 2 and charged with murder in connection to the girl’s death 33 years after the crime took place.
Merker’s criminal complaint, which was filed in Suffolk County Court in Riverhead, New York, revealed that she told detectives, “I did it. I did everything,” according to documents viewed by News 12 Long Island.
“I put the paper towel in the baby’s mouth because she was crying,” she allegedly added, per People.
The baby, who has been referred to as Baby Jane Doe throughout the case, was found dead inside of a trash bag by highway workers in a field off Route 25 in Calverton, New York, in 1993.
While Merker allegedly admitted to the crime, the complaint did not share any additional information about the crime or if police believe Merker had a motive for killing the baby.
Merker was taken into custody on February 3 and has remained at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in the month since she was booked.
She is scheduled to make her first court appearance regarding the charge on Monday, March 2. Merker has pleaded not guilty in the case, according to News 12 Long Island.
The Suffolk County Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
The court hearing comes after her first two scheduled court dates were postponed. However, it’s not currently clear why the initial court hearings didn’t take place.
Police have also not shared how they connected Merker to the case or what her relation to the baby was.
Authorities have previously credited advances in DNA technology with helping to solve many cold cases around the United States in recent years, though prosecutors have not directly detailed the evidence they found in order to arrest Merker.
Merker was just 22 years old when the baby died and went by the name of Denise Reischman at the time, according to Newsday.
The search for the baby girl’s killer never stopped, and she was one of nine unidentified babies whose DNA profiles were added to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Systems database in 2025.
When asked about the situation, Merker’s attorney, Edward Burke Jr., told Newsday the case was “gut-wrenching” and “emotional.” However, he declined to make any additional comments about the case or share insight into the upcoming trial.
Not much is known about Merker, though her wedding announcement was published in Newsday in 1996. The announcement stated that she lived in Selden, New York, at the time of her wedding and that she worked as a dentist office manager in Jamesport.
If Merker is found guilty of second-degree murder in New York state, she can face a minimum of 15 years in prison. Meanwhile, she could be sentenced to serve a maximum sentence of life in prison.
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