Long Island Woman Charged With Murder of Newborn 33 Years Ago

Denise Reischman Merker allegedly confessed to killing her newborn daughter in 1993 and abandoning the body along a roadside.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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A Long Island woman named Denise Reischman Merker has been arrested and charged with the second-degree murder of her newborn baby girl 33 years ago. Merker, now 56 years old, allegedly confessed to killing the infant and abandoning the body in a bag along the shoulder of a road in Calverton, New York in 1993.

Why it matters

This case highlights the power of genetic genealogy in solving cold cases, even decades later. It also raises questions about the trauma and mental health challenges that may have led Merker to allegedly commit this crime as a young woman, and whether the justice system can adequately address such complex situations from the past.

The details

In September 1993, a New York Department of Transportation employee found the body of a newborn baby girl with her umbilical cord still attached along the shoulder of Route 25 in Calverton. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office determined the baby's death was a homicide by suffocation, as her mouth had been stuffed with paper wads. Merker was arrested on February 2, 2026 and charged with second-degree murder after police used genetic genealogy to link her to the infant, known only as 'Baby Jane Doe' at the time.

  • The infant's body was found on September 27, 1993 along Route 25 in Calverton, New York.
  • Denise Reischman Merker was arrested on February 2, 2026 and charged with second-degree murder.
  • Merker pleaded not guilty at her arraignment on February 3, 2026.

The players

Denise Reischman Merker

A 56-year-old Long Island woman who was arrested and charged with the second-degree murder of her newborn daughter in 1993.

Baby Jane Doe

The newborn infant whose body was found abandoned along a roadside in Calverton, New York in 1993.

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What they’re saying

“I did it. I did everything.”

— Denise Reischman Merker (Newsday)

What’s next

Merker is due back in court on March 2, 2026, where a judge will decide whether to grant her bail.

The takeaway

This tragic case from over three decades ago underscores the importance of genetic genealogy in solving cold cases, while also raising complex questions about the mental health challenges and trauma that may have led to such a devastating act. The community will be closely watching how the justice system addresses this difficult situation from the past.