In a chilling conclusion to a decades-long saga, Antoinette Briley, 44, has been convicted of the murder of her twin newborn sons, whose lives were tragically cut short in 2003. The Cook County Sheriff's Office confirmed her guilt after she entered a plea at the Bridgeview Courthouse, committing her to 20 years behind bars in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced the closure of the cold case which has haunted the community for over 20 years, as reported by the Cook County Sheriff's Office.

Following the plea hearing, additional charges against Briley were dismissed. The case hinged on DNA technology that wasn't as advanced at the time of the horrific discovery on June 6, 2003, when a Waste Management employee found the bodies in a trash bin in unincorporated Stickney Township. An autopsy revealed that the infants had been born alive and died from asphyxiation, ruling the deaths homicides.

Investigators initially hit a dead end, but a renewed push in 2018 using genetic genealogy led to a breakthrough. By comparing the DNA from evidence at the scene with commercial DNA databases, Briley emerged as the potential birth mother. Detectives then tracked down Briley to Holland, Mich., where they collected her DNA from a discarded item strongly linking her to the crime, as per the Cook County Sheriff's Office.

Upon learning of Briley's presence in Cook County, detectives nabbed her on December 3, 2021. After being issued her Miranda rights, Briley confessed to her involvement in the twins' death and the discarding of their bodies. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office wasted no time, slapping her with two counts of first-degree murder charges the following day.