Police were called to a road in Longview, Texas, in June 1998 after a dead newborn was found in a trash bag in a field. She was named “Baby Jane Doe.”
The child had head injuries, and her death was ruled a homicide. Still, despite investigative efforts, authorities were unable to determine who the baby’s mother was, and the case went cold.
Police in Longview began reviewing unsolved cases earlier this year and sent DNA from the Baby Jane Doe case to the genetic genealogy company Othram.
Misty Marie Mitchell, a 47-year-old, became a suspect. The detective went to interview her, and reports say she confessed she was the little girl’s mother. She would have been around 20 at the time of the incident.
Mitchell was recently arrested and charged with capital murder. She is being held on $750,000 and is awaiting her day in court.
If convicted, she could receive life in prison without the possibility of parole or death.
DOB:
1978Conviction(s):
- N/A
Date of crime:
June 1998Location(s):
Longview, TXDate of arrest:
September 9th, 2025Details:
Accused of beating her newborn girl to death then dumping her in a field.Method:
N/AMotive(s):
Didn't want a kidSentence:
Awaiting trialCurrent whereabouts:
Gregg County JailSources:
- https://www.kltv.com/2025/09/10/longview-woman-charged-with-capital-murder-1998-cold-case/
- https://dnasolves.com/articles/1998-baby-doe-longview-texas/
- https://www.cbs19.tv/article/news/local/longview-woman-charged-with-capital-murder-in-1998-newborn-death/501-c51cba24-fcef-403c-9268-2c39855512e7
- https://www.kltv.com/video/2025/09/10/longview-woman-charged-1998-death-newborn/
Last Updated on 03/18/2026