Armand and Lorraine Pelletier lastly have some closure on a Maine chilly case that has haunted them for many years.
In what grew to become often called the case of Child Jane Doe, a new child’s physique was found in Frenchville after the Pelletiers’ canine carried it 700 ft from the gravel pit to its close by residence.
The Pelletiers, who now reside in Bangor, found the useless toddler — with the umbilical twine nonetheless hooked up — on their entrance step after their Siberian husky named Paca carried it there from the gravel pit on Dec. 7, 1985.
Investigators on the time had been in a position to decide the infant had been born full time period after which deserted within the gravel pit in subzero temperatures. Additionally they decided that her demise was under no circumstances associated to the canine carrying the toddler.
The Maine State police on Tuesday introduced the arrest and homicide cost of 58-year-old Lee Ann Daigle of Lowell, Massachusetts, within the demise of an unnamed toddler in December 1985.
The arrest brings at the least partial closure and a few solutions to questions residents of this northern Maine group have requested for greater than three a long time. There’s additionally a rising realization that it was one in every of their very own who allegedly deserted a child within the freezing chilly.
DNA testing has decided that Daigle was the mom of the kid that froze to demise quickly after she was born and deserted in a gravel pit on an evening when the temperature dipped to 30-degrees beneath zero. Daigle was 21 years outdated on the time.
“By no means, ever, ever did I dream even with DNA that they’d discover the mom,” Lorraine Pelletier stated on Tuesday. “It was so way back.”
The Pelletiers had warning an arrest was pending, Lorraine Pelletier stated. She stated a Maine State Police detective got here to their residence Mom’s Day weekend to let her know a lady had been recognized because the mom. Then they had been informed a couple of days in the past the arrest can be quickly.
“It places me in a state of affairs the place I’m offended at [Daigle], however then once more, you may’t maintain on to that anger,” Lorraine Pelletier stated. “She was scared, and it simply breaks my coronary heart she by no means rang our doorbell and by no means requested for assist.”
It’s all the extra painful provided that the Pelletiers had been by no means in a position to have kids of their very own.
“We give it some thought each day,” Lorraine Pelletier stated. “It simply by no means goes away. It’s one thing that simply stays with us particularly when December comes round. We might have helped her, however I’m glad that now we are able to shut this a part of the story.”
Paca lived to be 12 however died from most cancers in 1987.
Information of Daigle’s arrest has residents in that St. John Valley group reacting to against the law they by no means imagined can be solved however on Tuesday folks had been in disbelief.
One Frenchville resident, who spoke on the situation of anonymity to keep away from criticizing neighbors in a small city, stated she was “shocked” to be taught Daigle had been charged with the infant’s homicide.
The lady stated she is aware of a number of of Daigle’s relations properly, and that Daigle, then Guerrette, attended Knowledge Excessive Faculty in St. Agatha.
“She was such a pleasant lady,” the lady stated.
Glenna Ouellette Guerrette of Frenchville, who isn’t associated to Daigle, stated she remembers Child Jane Doe’s demise prefer it was yesterday.
Glenna Guerrette was nearing the top of her personal being pregnant, additionally carrying just a little lady, when Child Jane Doe froze within the northern Maine snow.
“The officers had been asking those that knew of somebody that was pregnant and wasn’t anymore,” Guerrette stated. “My Mother referred to as me to ensure I used to be nonetheless pregnant.”
On the time her mom referred to as, Guerrette had not heard of Child Jane Doe’s demise, as a result of she was on mattress relaxation, however she was devastated by the information.
“I couldn’t think about somebody doing that,” Guerrette stated. “I’m glad that investigators by no means gave up on her and now she will relaxation in peace.”
If she had the chance to speak to Daigle, Lorraine Pelletier stated she would need to ask her questions.
“Why depart a child within the gravel pit?” Lorraine Pelletier stated. “Why not come to our home and say you had simply had a child and wanted assist — we’d have taken that child and helped her in any means we might.”
