IN IN- Franklin, Johnson County, trash can in Temple Park, newborn Jane Doe, "Baby Hope," #UP13481, stabbed to death, 13 April, 1994, *DNA, new info.*

[dotr]

1206UFIN

1206UFIN - Unidentified Female​

Baby Hope's headstone (mouse over image to enlarge)

Date of Discovery: April 13, 1994
Location of Discovery: Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana
Date of Death: Same day
State of Remains: Unknown
Cause of Death: Homicide by stabbing

Physical Description​

Estimated Age: Newborn
Race: White
Sex: Female
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers​

Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Discovery​

Two boys searching for aluminum cans discovered the body of a newborn baby girl. She had been stabbed to death and placed into a trash can in Temple Park.
Citizens in the community donated funds so that the infant dubbed "Baby Hope" could have a proper burial and a headstone. On April 22, 1994, more than 150 people attended her funeral.
DNA was preserved in hopes that one day Baby Hope's mother could be identified.''

​

 

[dotr]

July 13 2025

Franklin Police to hold update on ‘Baby Hope’ cold case Monday - The Republic News

By Noah Crenshaw | Daily Journal

www.therepublic.com

''FRANKLIN — A 1994 Franklin cold case that garnered national attention will be the focus of a police update Monday.

Franklin Police will be holding a press conference Monday at the gravesite of the infant known as Baby Hope in Greenlawn Cemetery. This is the first major update held for the murder case in a number of years.''

''Baby Hope’s mother also remains unknown, as does the motive for the killing. For a while, police used security cameras to monitor visitors to Baby Hope’s grave.

Police also spent a number of years questioning those with an abnormal attachment to the infant. They went to every school in Johnson and neighboring counties looking for the mother. They searched hospitals and counseling centers for any information about a possible suspect. The case got nationwide attention.''
''Additional information will be shared during the press event, according to a news release from the department.''

 

[sds71]

Franklin Police announced that after 31 years, they had identified the baby’s biological parents. The mother was identified as Cheryl Dawn Larson, and the father is Paul Shepherd, who cooperated with investigators.

During the investigation, Shepherd was given the opportunity to name the baby, choosing to name her Hope Shepherd.

Unfortunately, Larson passed away in 2018, preventing law enforcement from interviewing her to determine her involvement in the case. It was confirmed that her husband was not the biological father of Baby Hope.

As of the latest update, no criminal charges had been filed in connection with the case due to the circumstances.

31 years later, Franklin police identify parents in 'Baby Hope' cold case

A cold case from 1994 that captured national attention was the focus of a significant update from Franklin Police on Monday.

www.wrtv.com

 

[The4TierBridge]

TLDR from above link: Mother is Cheryl Dawn Larson, who died in 2018. Father is Paul Shepherd, who is not believed to be involved in this death. Police are still not sure who actually committed the murder but the father and the mother’s then husband have both been ruled out as suspects.

Edit: the summary from the post only loaded after I finished writing a summary. Oops.

 

[Johenry1922]

All I was able to find on Cheryl was her marriage record to Richard in Lake county, IN, 1985. Maiden name Ignowski. No findagrave or obituary despite her 2018 death. She had two sons with Richard. Richard remarried in 2010.

 

[dotr]

Streamed live 8 hours ago
Franklin police are sharing an update on a more than 30-year-old cold case in a death an infant girl found stabbed to death.