NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Nearly 50 years after a newborn baby girl was found in a trash bag at a North Carolina<\/a> landfill, authorities have arrested a woman in one of the area\u2019s oldest unsolved cold cases.<\/p>\n The Columbus County Sheriff\u2019s Office announced Feb. 25 that Cathy McKee, 69, of Whiteville, North Carolina was arrested and charged with felony concealing the birth of a child. McKee was identified through DNA testing<\/a> as the infant\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n The investigation began in 1979 after the newborn\u2019s body was discovered at a Columbus County landfill. Despite an extensive investigation, all leads were eventually exhausted. Still, investigators said the case was “never forgotten.”<\/p>\n Cathy McKee was arrested on Feb. 24, nearly 50 years after a newborn baby was found at a North Carolina landfill.<\/span> (Columbus County Sheriff\u2019s Office)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “For 47 years, this baby girl\u2019s story was carried forward \u2014 passed from one generation of investigators<\/a> to the next,” the sheriff’s department said. “Some who first worked the scene are still remembered today; others have since retired, moved on, or passed away.”<\/p>\n The department said the responsibility felt by the original investigators “did not fade,” calling the case a lasting reminder that the child deserved to be remembered and her story deserved answers.<\/p>\n Officials noted that although the case predated modern DNA technology<\/a>, investigators used “extraordinary care” in preserving evidence, which ultimately made the arrest possible decades later.<\/p>\n “Their professionalism, compassion, and foresight ensured that this baby girl would not be lost to time,” the department said.<\/p>\n PENNSYLVANIA GIRL\u2019S CHURCH MURDER SOLVED AFTER FAMILY CONFESSION HELPS IDENTIFY KILLER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Cathy McKee, 69, was arrested after investigators used modern DNA testing to identify her in connection with a newborn baby found at a Columbus County landfill in 1979.<\/span> (Columbus County Sheriff\u2019s Office)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The case was formally reopened more than a year ago, and investigators were able to pursue new leads using advances in DNA testing, ultimately identifying McKee as the baby\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n Sheriff Bill Rogers said that even after nearly half a century, the child was “never forgotten.”<\/p>\n “As a father, this case is one that hits deeply. Every child who enters this world deserves protection, love, and the chance to be known,” he said. “For 47 years, this baby girl\u2019s life \u2014 however brief \u2014 mattered to the investigators who first held that case in their hands and to every detective who reviewed it after. She was never just evidence, never just a report. She was a child, and she was never forgotten.”<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The Columbus County Sheriff\u2019s Office announced an arrest on Feb. 25 in a cold case from 1979 where a newborn was found dead in a landfill.<\/span> (Columbus County Sheriff\u2019s Office)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n McKee was released from custody on a $5,000 bond and waived her right to counsel at a court appearance<\/a> this week.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Cathy](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1200\/675\/cathy-mckee-arrested-and-charged-with-felony-concealing-the-birth-of-a-child.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n![\"Cathy](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1200\/675\/cathy-mckee-arrested-by-columbus-county-sheriffs-office.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n![\"Columbus](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1200\/675\/columbus-county-sheriffs-office-car.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\nRelated Article<\/h3>\n
![\"New](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/234\/132\/judith-lord-apartment-split.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n