Nearly a quarter-century after a newborn was found in a dumpster behind a Round Lake Beach grocery store, police say they have their suspect. Jennifer Lebron, 48, was arrested Tuesday and charged in connection with the baby's death, a case that had long haunted investigators and the community.
Lebron is facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter tied to the August 2001 discovery of a newborn in a bag behind a grocery store on Rollins Road. The investigation initially led to early arrests and charges that were later dropped, and the file eventually went cold. Detectives now say newer forensic testing revived the case, generated fresh leads and led to new questioning that ended with Lebron's arrest.
Cold case reopened after DNA match
Round Lake Beach investigators dusted off the file in early 2024 and sent the infant's DNA for advanced testing. The results, according to CBS Chicago, first pointed to the boy's father, then to his mother.
After conducting interviews and reviewing the evidence with fresh eyes, police charged Lebron with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Investigators say the father is not suspected of any criminal activity in the case.
Authorities also noted that the infant, who remained unidentified for years, was given the name Jacob Hope by AMT Children of Hope while the case was unsolved, a gesture meant to honor the baby as the investigation dragged on.
Police praise detectives' persistence
“I am extraordinarily proud of the determination of our detectives, as well as the investigators whose efforts began nearly 25 years ago,” Round Lake Beach Police Chief Ryan Rodriguez said in a news release, as reported by CBS Chicago.
Rodriguez added that he was at the original 2001 scene and that the memory of that day has stayed with him throughout his career. Police say the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force assisted both in the initial investigation and in aspects of the reopened probe, helping carry the case across two different eras of forensic science.
How genetic genealogy can solve old mysteries
Authorities say the key break came from advanced DNA and kinship testing, tools that can link even degraded crime scene profiles to relatives in public databases. From there, analysts can help investigators build likely family trees that point toward potential suspects or unidentified victims.
The National Institute of Justice has documented how forensic genetic genealogy and newer sequencing technology have helped breathe life into long dormant cases, providing investigative leads that detectives then test the old fashioned way. Those leads typically begin with genetic matches and are followed by interviews, records checks and searches for corroborating evidence before anyone is charged.
Charges and penalties
Lebron has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, a felony offense that will proceed in the Lake County court system. Under Illinois law, involuntary manslaughter is generally treated as a Class 3 felony, with sentencing and potential penalties governed by state statute and judicial rules.
In the coming weeks, prosecutors and defense counsel are expected to address arraignment, discovery and pretrial scheduling as the case moves into the courts.
The arrest has thrust a heartbreaking Round Lake Beach cold case back into public view and highlighted how modern forensic tools can rewrite the script on investigations many assumed were unsolvable. Police did not release additional investigative details on Tuesday. Anyone with information about the 2001 case is asked to contact the Round Lake Beach Police Department. This story will be updated as new court documents and official statements are filed.
