Cold-case solved: Suspect arrested for throwing baby in trash 33 years ago

Authorities in Iowa this week announced the arrest of a woman they say is responsible for discarding a newborn baby in an Iowa City landfill in 1992. It was cases like this one that were the impetus for Safe Haven laws, which allow parents to safely surrender a newborn in a desperate situation.

Key Takeaways:

• Iowa authorities have announced the arrest of a woman they say threw her newborn in the trash in 1992.

• The case serves as a reminder of the state's safe haven law, which allows infant surrenders up to 90 days old.

• Since Iowa's Safe Haven Act was enacted in 2002, 10 years after this incident, 77 infants have been safely surrendered.

The Details:

58-year-old Cindy Sue Elder, formerly known as Cindy Sue Eckrich, faces a first-degree murder charge for allegedly throwing her baby boy in the trash shortly after giving birth to him in 1992.

According to CBS 2 Iowa, Elder was 26 at the time she gave birth. She did not want to have a child and hid her pregnancy from everyone, and also reportedly punched herself in the stomach in an attempt to induce a miscarriage.

When her baby was born, she was afraid that another resident in the house would hear his cries, so she "did something" to keep him quiet. She then placed the infant in a trash bag and disposed of him in a trash receptacle near her father's apartment.

The little boy's body was found at an Iowa City Landfill on December 21, 1992. Authorities said he weighed under 10 pounds and his umbilical cord was still attached.

After sitting dormant for nearly 30 years, the case was reopened in 2020. Investigators were then able to match Elder to the case through DNA evidence.

"This case exemplifies our commitment to crime victims, especially ones so vulnerable," said Iowa City Police Chief Dustin Liston. "I am grateful for the dedication, partnerships, and technological advances that have made this arrest possible."

Why It Matters:

In 1992, the state of Iowa did not have a safe haven law, which would have allowed Elder to surrender her baby boy to appropriate authorities with no legal ramifications. It was an increase of abandonment cases like that of Elder's baby that spurred lawmakers to create the law in 2002.

According to Iowa Health and Human Services, the state's safe haven law:

[A]llows parents - or another person who has the parent's authorization - to leave an infant up to 90 days old at a hospital, health care facility, a fire station, through a newborn safety device, or to an Adoption Service Provider without fear of prosecution for abandonment. A parent may also contact 911 and relinquish physical custody of an infant up to 90 days old to a first responder of the 911 call.

To date, 77 infants have reportedly been saved through safe surrender since the Safe Haven Act's enactment.

Iowa Health and Human Services Director Kelly Garcia told CBS 2 Iowa that parents have several options available to them, especially if they feel unable to parent their child.

"There are lots of options in this state that really support the family through a pregnancy process and then into birth," Garcia said. "There are pathways that exist that really do nurture that choice and support women in that really bold and very brave decision to say, 'I'm not in a space to parent this child,' and to give them over to a loving family."

The Bottom Line:

The tragic death of the baby boy found dead in a landfill in 1992 underscores the need for safe haven laws and for greater awareness of those laws today. Every child deserves the right to life.