UPDATE Jennifer Matter plead guilty to murder of baby boy 2003

UPDATE:  Jennifer Lynn Matter was sentenced to 27+ years in prison.  She will be scheduled for release in April 2041.

SENTENCE DETAILS:
Report on April 28, 2023.
Commit to Commissioner of Corrections at the MN Correctional Facility – months.
Credit for time served amount is 52 days.
This sentence consists of a minimum term of imprisonment equal to two-thirds of the total executed sentence, and a maximum supervised release term equal to one-third of the total executed sentence, unless the sentence is life or life without the possibility of release.
Time to Serve: 326 months

Goodhue County Sheriff Kelly has the following remarks

Today marks the day, after a long 24-years, where justice has been served. Two newborn-babies never had an opportunity to speak, to grow, to learn, to love, and to make an impact in whatever they chose to do. As a parent, the number one unwritten rule of parenthood is to protect your children at all costs. The defendant, the mother of these newborn-babies, betrayed their trust. This betrayal cost two souls from flourishing and a great deal of pain in our community.

Now that the court has spoken, it is important to reflect on how we got here. Law enforcement, those here with us today and others that have retired, are the reason we are here. The tenacity to never quit, to work against all odds, to think outside the box, to sacrifice days, nights, weekends so justice could one day be served. To all of those, as your elected sheriff and community resident, THANK YOU. These babies can now rest in peace and our community can now begin to the long road to heal. PARABON, gave these children a voice. This cutting-edge DNA technology is the reason we can reflect today.

There is no amount of time that the Court can impose on the defendant that will bring back the lives lost.
We are pleased today that the Court imposed a sentence that is fair, just and impactful. The defendant must now not only live with her decisions for 27 years, she will have to reflect on her actions while incarcerated.

Jennifer Lynn Matter has plead guilty to the murder of her baby boy from 2003.  The baby was found at Lake Pepin Methodist Campus Beach.  Matter’s dna also comes back to a baby girl found in 1999 at Lower Boat Harbor of the Mississippi River near Red Wing.  She has not yet been charged in the death from 1999.

When arrested and interviewed, matters denied any connection to the baby.  After another interview Matter told police that she was in and out of jail, drinking too much, doing a lot of stupid things, back in 1999 and admitted that she was pregnant. She said she didn’t know about the pregnancy until she started bleeding one day as she was dropping off two other children at their school and daycare.

She delivered at home in the bathroom. She said she freaked out when the baby was blue and not breathing, not crying. She wrapped the baby and left the baby’s body at Bay Point Park in Red Wing in the middle of the night.

She told investigators she didn’t remember a second baby, but later said it was in Frontenac, and said she was almost positive she was at a public beach alone when she went into labor. She was trying to lay low because she had an arrest warrant and believed cops were looking for her.  She said she didn’t remember if the baby was crying, but said it was breathing fine.

She said she left the baby on the beach before driving away, and said she did not have a plan about leaving the baby in a safe place, but hoped that someone in the nearby houses would find the baby.

Genetic genealogy and rapid DNA testing were both employed to develop a break in the case and then quickly confirm the identity of the babies’ mother, Minnesota BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said. These kinds of scientific advances that can aid investigations are happening all the time. That is why it is so important to never give up on any unsolved case.

It’s not known if or when Matter will be charged with the 1999 murder.

NEWS RELEASE
May 09, 2022
Office of Communications

Red Wing Woman Arrested for 2003 Death of Baby Found in Lake Pepin
Woman Also Identified Through DNA as Mother of Baby Found in Mississippi River in 1999

ST. PAUL — The Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) today announced an arrest in the 2003 death of a newborn baby boy discovered deceased in Lake Pepin in 2003.

The woman, Jennifer Lynn Matter, 50, of Belvidere Township, was recently identified through DNA as the child’s mother.

Goodhue County deputies and BCA agents took Matter into custody at 6:38 a.m. Monday at her Belvidere Township home without incident. She has been charged via complaint with Second Degree Murder – With Intent – Not Premeditated and Second Degree Murder – Without Intent. Matter is currently in the Goodhue County Jail. Matter is scheduled to appear in Goodhue County District Court on Tuesday. Additional information about the charges is available in the criminal complaint. Her booking photo is provided here on behalf of the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office.

The baby boy was discovered deceased on December 7, 2003, in Lake Pepin at the Methodist Campus Beach in Frontenac. A second child, a newborn baby girl found deceased on November 4, 1999, in the Lower Boat Harbor of the Mississippi River near Red Wing, was also determined through DNA to be Matter’s child.

While exhaustive investigative efforts over the years did not lead to a suspect, a recent effort to learn about the babies’ parentage through genetic genealogy resulted in a lead that ultimately led investigators to Matter. Investigators obtained a court order to obtain a DNA sample from Matter and BCA forensic scientists confirmed the match to both children using Rapid DNA technology.

“The tenacity of several investigators in our office to obtain justice for these babies and the perseverance by our community who assisted us in finding answers have led us here today,” Goodhue County Sheriff Marty Kelly said. “We pray today’s arrest and charges provide some closure to all of those effected.”

“Genetic genealogy and Rapid DNA testing were both employed to develop a break in the case and then ​quickly confirm the identity of the babies’ mother,” BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said. “These kinds of scientific advances that can aid investigations are happening all the time. That is why it is so important to never give up on any unsolved case.”

“I want to recognize the persistence, hard work, and dedication of our law enforcement professionals who have put so much of themselves into solving this case,” Goodhue County Attorney Stephen O’Keefe said.

The genetic genealogy work was completed by Parabon NanoLabs. Learn more about genetic genealogy testing. This testing was funded by donations from the people of Goodhue County. All agencies involved in this investigation and prosecution are appreciative of the community for their contribution that ultimately led to a break in this case.

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