What is Baby Garnet cold case? TikToker’s DNA test reveals family link leads to grandmother’s arrest

TikToker @__jennarose__ went viral on TikTok after revealing that a DNA Ancestry test she took led to her grandmother being arrested in connection to the Baby Garnet cold case. The grandmother, Nancy Ann Gerwatowski, faces potential life imprisonment following her arrest in July 2022. Her next court appearance is scheduled for December 12.

Jenna Rose Gerwatowski shared that after taking the ancestry test, she received a phone call from a Michigan State Police detective, who informed her that her DNA matched that of a victim from a 1997 cold case.

Jenna explained that the DNA test uncovered a connection to the Baby Garnet case, involving a newborn who was "term or near-term" with a gestational age of 36 to 42 weeks, and was found deceased in an outhouse at Garnet Lake, Naubinway, Michigan.

She stated that the DNA results confirmed her mother shared the same DNA as the deceased baby, which pointed to her grandmother, Nancy, whom she had never met. In her TikTok video, Jenna said: “I was mind blown. She is literally the f**king person they’ve been looking for for 25 years- and it’s all because of a f**king Ancestry DNA kit.”

In June 1997, the remains of the baby, later named Baby Garnet, were discovered, leading to an investigation by the Mackinac County Sheriff's Office and Michigan State Police. The case remained unsolved for 25 years until Nancy was arrested in July 2022 on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter, and concealing a death. She also confessed to being the mother of Baby Garnet.

Reports from The Post suggest that Nancy gave birth to the baby at home, where the child died of asphyxiation before she disposed of the body in the outhouse. Prosecutors argued that the baby’s life could have been saved with medical care.

In October 2023, Nancy was released on personal recognizance bond under conditions including GPS monitoring and home confinement.

In her TikTok video, Jenna said she could not disclose all the details about her grandmother or the incident.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a statement in July 2022 regarding Nancy's arrest in the Baby Garnet case. Highlighting the impact of genetic advancements in solving cold cases, Nessel stated: “This is a testament to the persistence of law enforcement and the power of science. We are finally able to pursue justice for Baby Garnet, thanks to the tireless work of investigators and the technological progress that has made this possible.”