Executive Summary
- Cathy McKee was arrested and charged with concealing the birth of a child related to a 1979 cold case.
- The investigation was reopened over a year ago by the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office and the NC SBI.
- Advanced DNA technology linked McKee to the newborn found dead in a landfill 47 years ago.
- Sheriff Bill Rogers credited the preservation of original evidence for the breakthrough.
COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. — Authorities in North Carolina have arrested a Whiteville woman in connection with a 47-year-old cold case involving the death of a newborn, citing advances in DNA technology as the pivotal breakthrough in the investigation.
According to the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, investigators arrested Cathy McKee on Tuesday following a renewed inquiry into the 1979 discovery of a deceased infant. McKee has been charged with felony concealing the birth of a child. Officials stated that the investigation was executed in partnership with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) Coastal District and the SBI Cold Case Unit.
The case originated in 1979 when the body of a newborn girl was discovered inside a trash bag at the Columbus County landfill. At the time, deputies and investigators conducted an extensive probe, but leads were eventually exhausted. The Sheriff’s Office noted that the case remained unsolved for decades until it was formally reopened more than a year ago.
Investigators reported that evidence collected at the original crime scene had been carefully preserved, allowing modern forensic experts to utilize advanced DNA testing. This analysis reportedly developed new leads that ultimately identified McKee as the infant’s mother. Following her arrest, she was processed and held under a $20,000 bond.
Sheriff Bill Rogers commended the original deputies for their foresight in preserving the evidence necessary for modern science to intervene. "Because of the compassion and foresight of those original deputies who preserved the evidence so carefully… we are finally able to give this child what she deserved all along — the truth," Rogers said in a written statement. He emphasized that the case had weighed heavily on generations of investigators.
It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Forensic Impact & Investigative Outlook
The resolution of this case underscores the increasing efficacy of advanced DNA profiling in clearing historical backlogs of unidentified remains cases. By successfully linking decades-old biological evidence to a living suspect, law enforcement agencies are demonstrating that the passage of time does not preclude accountability in investigations involving abandoned infants. This arrest highlights the critical importance of proper evidence preservation protocols, as biological samples collected decades ago are now serving as the primary keys to closing files that were previously deemed unsolvable due to the technological limitations of the 1970s.
