PORTSMOUTH, Va. — In a significant development, the Portsmouth Police Department on Friday announced the reopening of two cold cases dating back nearly three decades involving the tragic deaths of infants.
The two cases involve the remains of infants discovered at the SPSA waste plant on Victory Boulveard, one in February 1995 and the other in June 1996. Referred to as "Baby Angel Valentine" and "Baby June" respectively, neither infant could be identified at the time of discovery despite thorough investigations.
Since then, there have been no arrests, police said.
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Detective Gino Jackson, a homicide investigator with more than 13 years on the force, is part of the initiative to employ advanced, modernized forensic methods in hopes of uncovering the identities of the victims and bringing closure to their stories.
The police department said investigators made the rare decision to exhume the remains of Baby Angel Valentine and Baby June due to a recent collaboration with the Richmond Office of Medical Examiner, which received a grant that funds to use new DNA technology.
"We just want to get the answers for the for the deceased, and we want to try to identify family," he told News 3's Jay Greene in an interview Friday evening. "I can't imagine a reason why one would discard an infant into the trash."
Detective Jackson expressed the department’s commitment to give these cases renewed attention using modern forensic techniques, specifically enhanced DNA analysis and genealogical research.
"There is still potentially viable DNA that can be extracted from the remains," the detective said.
In both instances, workers at the SPSA facility alerted police after discovering the remains, prompting immediate investigations and collaboration with the medical examiner's office. Regrettably, both infants were left unidentified, and the cases remained cold for decades.
Addressing the steps taken in the investigation, Jackson noted that exhumation requires a legal process involving the circuit court in Chesapeake where the infant children are buried.
The detective said certain evidence needed to be presented to the court in order to have an exhumation granted, however we was not able to comment any further. While the exhumation of these specific remains has not yet occurred, plans are underway.
Police said it's unclear if the two homicides are related.
