Mendham 'Baby Mary' Case Closed As Mother Ruled Responsible: Officials

MENDHAM, NJ — Close to 40 years after a lifeless newborn was discovered abandoned on Christmas Eve 1984 in Mendham Township, a judge has ruled the baby's mother responsible for her death.

The circumstances surrounding "Baby Mary" and her death were shrouded in mystery until officials announced they arrested the child's mother in South Carolina last April.

Officials charged her with manslaughter by way of a juvenile delinquency complaint, as she was 17 at the time of the child's birth. It would have been a second-degree crime if committed by an adult.

On Thursday, officials announced that Mary Catherine Crumlich, 57, was adjudicated delinquent in the case, after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

Crumlich had the surname of Snyder at the time of the baby’s birth and death.

According to officials, she will be sentenced to probation with the condition she is imprisoned for 364 days at the Morris County Correctional Facility.

This is the first time officials have identified Crumlich as Baby Mary's mother, after connecting her to the child's death last year.

"As I have said previously, justice may not take the form the public has envisioned, but we hope that with this disposition, the Mendham and Morris County community is given a sense of closure," said county prosecutor Robert J. Carroll.

“This disposition has been years in the making, across generations of law enforcement who have demonstrated a relentless commitment to justice for Baby Mary," Carroll added.

The baby's father died in 2009 and officials said there was no indication he knew of her birth and death. Both of Baby Mary's parents were Morris County residents at the time, officials said.

The baby was abandoned in trash bags near a waterfall off Mount Pleasant Road and was later discovered by two boys fishing at Woodland Lake in Dismal Harmony Park at noon on Christmas Eve, 1984.

Her umbilical cord was still attached, and authorities believe the abandoned infant died alone from exposure to the elements and hypothermia.

Following the discovery of baby Mary, the Mendham Township Police Department took custody of her body with the help of Father Mike Drury, a chaplain for the police department.

Drury named the baby girl "Mary," and her body was buried properly at St. Joseph Church cemetery off Route 24, in Mendham Borough, where she remains to this day.

Baby Mary is currently resting near another unknown baby, "Hope," a cold case of an abandoned infant found dead near Route 78 on Dec. 18, 1991, who was discovered seven years after Baby Mary was found, police said.

Below is a timeline of events leading up to Thursday's announcement in the Baby Mary case:

Dec. 24, 1984: Two boys were fishing in an area off Mount Pleasant Road called Dismal Harmony Park Woodland Lake when they came across the trash bags and opened them out of curiosity. They discovered an infant girl wrapped in a towel who had died from exposure and hypothermia inside.

1984-1985: The Mendham Township Police Department ran through their paces to pursue leads. They canvassed the community, checked hospital records in multiple counties, and visited high schools to see if there was a teen who may have been hiding a pregnancy.

1987: Baby Mary was subsequently adopted by the Mendham Township Police Department with the assistance of Chaplain Father Mike Drury and buried at St. Joseph Church cemetery off Route 24, in Mendham Borough.

1987: Police begin an annual Christmas Eve memorial service at her graveside, attended by local police officers and members of the public.

2014: Chief Steven Crawford called for a re-examination of Baby Mary’s case for the upcoming 30th anniversary.

2014: Mendham Township Detectives James Arnesen and Jason Morrison took the lead on the case, with assistance from Sergeants Steve Bittman and Daniel Taquinto. Outside authorities are also assisting, including Detective Michael Gomez of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office and officers of the New Jersey State Police.

2014: Additional tissue samples from Baby Mary were given to the state for further testing.

2014-2023: A DNA match between Baby Mary and the parents was made.

April 24, 2023: A juvenile delinquency complaint was filed against the biological mother of Baby Mary.

Feb. 28, 2024: Baby Mary's biological mother pleads guilty to manslaughter.

April 3, 2024: Judge Michael P. Wright imposes probation, conditional upon 364 days served at the Morris County Correctional Facility.

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