The arrest of a well-known Winona resident in the 2011 cold case death of a newborn baby found floating in the Mississippi River stunned the community. 

 

Jennifer Baechle is a pillar in the local arts and music scene. She's a wife and mother of two, who volunteers with nonprofits and cooks for church fundraisers, including one benefiting the Winona Immigration Network. She’s an English instructor at Winona State University, her alma mater. 

 

Forensic geneology led investigators to Baechle's door, with concrete DNA evidence indicating Baechle is the mother. Yet the community is still left with one big question: Why did she wrap her baby in a tote bag and send her down the Mississippi River? 

 

In this episode, we speak with John Molseed, a Rochester Post Bulletin reporter who has been covering the story -- and has insight into the small city's reaction to it all. 

 

Press conference audio was provided by the Rochester Post Bulletin, a Forum Commnications newspaper. 

If you have any questions or comments, email Trisha Taurinskas at [email protected].