Court Appearance Changed For LI Woman Charged With Murder In Relation To Infant Daughter's Death: DA

RIVERHEAD, NY — A court date for a Riverhead woman arrested and accused of murder in a cold case dating back to 1993 has been changed to March 2, a representative from Suffolk County District Attorney's office said Monday.

The woman reportedly abandoned her infant daughter on the side of the road, where the baby died, according to court documents and officials.

According to a Riverhead Town Justice Court representative, Denise Reischman Merker, 56, was arrested on February 2; she was charged with murder and arraigned on February 3 at Riverhead Town Justice Court, according to the representative.

The baby was initially found on September 25, 1993, court documents and Merker's attorney Edward Burke Jr. initially indicated.

On Tuesday, Burke told Patch that he will no longer be the attorney of record on the case.

It was not initially clear what led to Merker's recent arrest.

Merker is next slated to appear before Judge Steven Pilewski in Suffolk County Criminal Court in Riverhead for an arraignment pursuant to an indictment, court records indicate and the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said.

Last week, Burke Jr. confirmed the murder charge and said it was in relation to the death of her infant daughter.

"This an extremely emotional case," he said at the time.

A prior Newsday report from 1993 indicated that a deceased newborn baby was found in a bag on Route 25 near Wading River-Manorville Road, her mouth stuffed with paper wads, police said at the time. Her umbilical cord was still attached, the report said.

Burke confirmed last week that the 1993 report was referring to the same case.

Merker was initially scheduled to appear in court Friday, and then, on Tuesday, before the date was changed, officials said.