Colorado Woman Arrested In Connection With 'Baby Faith' Cold Case

A 42-year-old woman is reportedly in custody more than two decades after the discovery of a baby's body in Larimer County, Colorado.

November 08, 2019

Jennifer Katalinich [Larimer County Sheriff’s Office]

Jennifer Katalinich [Larimer County Sheriff’s Office]

By: Mike McPadden

Colorado authorities this week reportedly arrested a woman in connection to the death of “Baby Faith,” a newborn found dead on the shores of a reservoir in 1996.

According to the Fort Collins Coloradoan, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday arrested 42-year-old Jennifer Katalinich, who's also allegedly known by the name Jennifer Tjornehoj. She's reportedly charged with second-degree murder and first-degree murder of a victim under 12 in a position of trust.

At this time, it's unclear if Katalinich is related to the victim.

Two boys found the female infant's body at the Horsetooth Reservoir on August 24, 1996. Authorities believe someone wrapped the infant in a towel and placed her inside a garbage bag weighed down with rocks.

After a coroner determined the unidentified infant died of asphyxiation, the press reportedly dubbed her “Baby Faith.”

The case went cold in 1998, but was reopened in 2006, 10 years after the infant's body was found . Authorities reportedly pinned their hopes for a break on advancements in DNA technology. Unfortunately, technology at the time was unable to identify a potential suspect.

Another ten years passed before DNA evidence allegedly led investigators to Katalinich. According to Denver's KCNC-TV, authorities used a genealogy database to identify relatives of the infant. It's the same way authorities in California last year reportedly identified a suspect in the "Golden State Killer" cold case.

Fox News reports Katalinich was 18 years old in 1996 and living in a dorm at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.

According to Denver's KDVR-TV, Katalinich posted $25,000 bond in court on Tuesday. She is reportedly due back in court on January 21, 2020.

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