23 years later, no relatives found of baby 'John Doe' found dead in Brighton

DENVER (KDVR) — Law enforcement has not yet found relatives of a one-day-old baby found dead outside a Brighton business in 2002.

The infant was found in September 2002 outside the L&M Auto Repair in Brighton by employees who were arriving for work in the morning. One of the staff members reportedly saw something under a bush, which turned out to be the newborn.

He was found wrapped in a blue blanket with the words “Skate Bear” printed on the blanket with a graphic. The agency shared a photo of the graphic.

The Weld County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating the case and said there were no other clues left at the scene to give further information about the newborn or the circumstances of his death.

The agency said that the baby was described as having dark hair and ancestry has been estimated to be potentially white, Latino and/or Italian. He was about 7 pounds and 21 inches long at the time of death, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office said that pathologists determined the infant had been born healthy between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. the day before, but did not have a definitive cause of death. The agency said that all available investigative leads and tips were followed up on at the time, but investigators have not been able to identify the baby, leading the case to go cold.

The agency raised funds to use Othram, a forensic genetic genealogy company that specializes in resolving unsolved crimes, to develop a comprehensive genealogical profile for the newborn. However, the profile has not led investigators to any definite familial ties.

The sheriff’s office said that detectives are actively working on leads and are hopeful that they will find a relative for the baby.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Cold Case Det. Byron Kastilahn at 970-356-4015. Information can also be submitted to the Weld County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 970-304-6464 or email your tip to Crimetips@weld.gov.