Arrest made in Angel Baby Doe death 23 years after the fact

Jul. 1—Had she lived, Angel Baby Doe would be looking forward to her 24rd birthday this November. Instead, for the past 23 years, she had been the focus of one of the Johnson County Sheriff Office's most heartbreaking cold cases.

Angel Baby Doe died in 2001 on the side of a Johnson County when she was just several hours old.

More than two decades on, law enforcement officials have made an arrest in the case.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the Office of the Attorney General's Missing Persons and Cold Case Unit announced Monday they have secured an indictment against Shelby Ann Stotts, 48, of Covington, for second degree manslaughter in connection with Angel Baby Doe's death.

Stotts, according to the indictment, recklessly caused the death of her newborn daughter on Nov. 18, 2001, by leaving the baby on the side of the road and failing to seek prompt medical care after giving birth. Stotts also failed to clamp the baby's umbilical cord, which caused the child to bleed to death.

The abandoned baby was found off of Briaroaks Road between Alvarado and Burleson.

Johnson County Sheriff's Office Deputies responded to the 400 block of South Briaroaks Road that day where they found the body of a newborn baby girl loosely wrapped in a Winnie the Pooh jacket. The baby's umbilical cord was still attached.

A man picking up cans along the roadway while walking to a local store spotted the baby and called 911.

JCSO officers determined that the baby was probably born outside of a hospital and abandoned on the side of the road.

Then Johnson County Sheriff Bob Alford named the girl Angel Baby Doe in hopes that her identity and the identity of her mother would one day become known.

Rosser Funeral Home donated a casket and the city of Cleburne's Cemetery Department provided funding for the baby's burial, according to a 2010 Times-Review article by former reporter Pete Kendall.

Through the years, JCSO investigators interviewed multiple persons of interest and followed numerous leads in attempt to determine the child's identity.

In June 2022, Johnson County Sheriff Adam King requested assistance from the Texas Attorney General's cold case unit to help investigate new leads and the two agencies worked in conjunction on the case.

DNA samples taken from Stotts and Angel Baby Doe in September 2023 indicated that Stotts is the biological mother, Paxton said via a Monday release.

Additional evidence uncovered through investigation indicates that the child was alive and breathing at the time of her birth and further that Stotts was responsible for abandoning the child.

Stotts subsequently admitted to having abandoned the child, officials said.

DNA also identified the child's father, King said. He is not being charged as no evidence or information has been found to indicate that he had any knowledge of the pregnancy or birth of the child.

The Attorney General's Criminal Prosecution Division will handle the case in Johnson County, Paxton said.

"As is common in cold cases, Stotts will be prosecuted under the laws that were in effect at the time of the offense," Paxton said.

Paxton established the Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit in 2021 to assist local law enforcement agencies in investigating and prosecuting unsolved cases.

"After nearly two dozen years, we are closer to securing justice for Angel Baby Doe and ensuring that the person responsible for this tragedy is held accountable," Paxton said. "I am thankful for the efforts of the OAG's investigators and the law enforcement professionals at the Johnson County Sheriff's Office for their tireless dedication to uncovering the truth."

Alford when contacted Monday commended Johnson County Sheriff Adam King, the JCSO Cold Case Squad and the attorney general's office for continuing to pursue the case through the decades.

"I just felt like that little girl deserved to have a name," Alford said of his decision to name the baby Angel Baby Doe shortly after her death.

Possible resolution of the case after all these years means a lot, Alford added.

"I made that scene that day," Alford said. "It's actually not far from where I live. That was a hard one, a very emotional time for all of us. I've seen a lot of deaths and bad things happen to people, but when you have a little baby left on the side of the road that was still alive when she was left. The ME said she was still alive when left. I just can't imagine."

Stotts' name never popped up, Alford said.

"No, it's thanks to DNA advancements that this case was cleared," Alford said. "That and thanks to Adam and everyone who kept this case alive through the years."

Alford said he still visit's Angel Baby Doe's grave at the Cleburne Cemetery from time to time.

"It was a well publicized case," Alford said. "Over the years people would leave toys and objects at her grave."

King spoke of closure as well.

"The deputies and officers involved with this case were heartbroken over the loss of Angel Baby Doe," King said. "They never forgot about her and kept the case alive for over 20 years. They needed to solve this so that they could have closure and begin the healing process."