Mother Identified in 29-Year-Old Baby Boy Doe Code Case Through DNA Technology, Case Remains Open

Odessa, TX – Nearly three decades after a newborn baby was found dead in a dumpster, the Odessa Police Department has identified the child’s mother through advanced DNA technology.

On July 18, 1996, at approximately 7:50 a.m., officers responded to an alleyway between the 1300 block of Clifford and the 1300 block of Boatwright, where the body of a full-term male infant—later referred to as “Baby Boy Doe”—was discovered inside a dumpster. Despite a neighborhood canvass, investigators were unable to uncover the baby’s identity.

An autopsy confirmed that Baby Boy Doe had been born healthy and full-term. His death was ruled a homicide. He was laid to rest at Sunset Memorial Gardens on July 22, 1996. Over the years, detectives pursued dozens of leads without success.

In 2005, Baby Boy Doe’s remains were exhumed and submitted to the University of North Texas for DNA testing. A genetic profile was created and entered into CODIS, but no matches were found. Investigators continued testing samples against persons of interest for years, again with no results.

The case gained new momentum in September 2020, when biological evidence was submitted to Bode Technology for forensic genetic genealogy testing. That breakthrough eventually identified the baby’s biological mother as Rosamara Biscaino Arzate, who died by suicide in 2019.

While Arzate has been identified as the primary suspect, the case remains open, and detectives are continuing to investigate other persons of interest. Baby Boy Doe’s surviving relatives have been notified, and his remains were turned over to the Ector County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Police urge anyone with information about this case, or about Rosamara Arzate and her associates during the 1990s, to contact the OPD Cold Case Unit at 432-335-4926 or submit tips anonymously to Odessa Crime Stoppers at 432-333-8477 or online at 333tips.org.