What is the Baby Garnet cold case? TikToker's DNA ancestry test leads to her own grandmother getting arrested 

TikToker @__jennarose__ went viral on the video-sharing platform after she shared that taking a DNA Ancestry test led to her grandmother getting arrested in relation to the Baby Garnet cold case. The grandmother, Nancy Ann Gerwatowski, could face a life sentence in prison following her July 2022 arrest. She is set to appear in court again on December 12.

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

Jenna Gerwatowski said that she was shocked to learn that the Ancestry test led to links to the Baby Garnet cold case, where a newborn of a “term or near-term,” which would be a gestational age of 36 to 42 weeks, was found dead in an outhouse at Garnet Lake, Naubinway, Michigan.

In June 1997, the remains of an unnamed infant were found in Mackinac County, Michigan, which is the subject of the Baby Garnet cold case.

Jenna shared that the DNA test confirmed that her mother had the same DNA as that of the deceased child, meaning it had to be tied “to my mom’s mother,” Nancy, whom she had never met. Jenna said in the TikTok video:

“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.”

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More about the Baby Garnet cold case as TikTok video goes viral

In June 1997, the remains of a child, later named Baby Garnet, were discovered, prompting an investigation by the Mackinac County Sheriff's Office and Michigan State Police. The case went cold for 27 years until Nancy Ann Gerwatoski was arrested in July 2022 for murder, involuntary manslaughter, and concealing a death. She also admitted to being Baby Garnet's mother.

According to The Post, Nancy is thought to have given birth to the child at home, where the child died of asphyxiation before she left the body in the outhouse. Prosecutors have argued that the baby could have been saved through medical intervention.

Nancy was released on a personal recognizance bond in October 2023 with conditions of her being monitored by GPS and home confinement.

TikToker Jenna revealed in her video that she could not share “everything” regarding what happened to her grandmother and further details about the incident.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released a statement in July 2022 in regard to the arrest made in the Baby Garnet case. While acknowledging the role of genetic advancements in solving cold cases, Nessel said:

“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.”

In the upcoming court hearing related to the Baby Garnet case, the court is set to determine whether the statement made by Nancy regarding the death of her child, lack of prenatal medical care, and information about an abortion consideration can be used in the trial.

WDIV reported that the concealing of a death charge could be dismissed; however, it had not been at the time of writing this article. As mentioned prior, if convicted, Nancy could face up to life in prison.