CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Warrants have been issued in the 2008 case of Baby Boy Horry.
Horry County police on Tuesday said warrants for homicide by child abuse have been issued for Jennifer Sahr, 32, of Pensacola, Florida. Sahr’s last name was previously Rickel and she was a student at Coastal Carolina University at the time.
“This development comes after scientific evidence provided Horry County Police Department with a new lead in the investigation,” police said in a press statement. “The State Law Enforcement Division has confirmed that Sahr is the biological mother of the child.”
The newborn child who became known as Baby Boy Horry was found by utility workers on Dec. 4, 2008, in a wooded area off of Highway 544 on Meadowbrook Drive outside of Conway. He had been wrapped in a tote bag and placed inside of a box. An autopsy showed that, when the child was placed outside, it was a viable infant.
“Over the last 12 years, the Horry County community has demonstrated a commitment to keeping the memory of Baby Boy Horry alive. It is our sincere hope that this new development will bring the community and all who have been touched by this case some sense of peace.,” HCPD also says.
“Baby Boy Horry is buried at Hillcrest Cemetery, where a memorial headstone was erected in his honor. A memorial service is held at the site every year, led by Horry County Coroner Robert Edge and members of the community,” HCPD adds. The case remains opens and more charges are possible.
Authorities also say they know who the child’s father is and have been in contact with him.
HCPD was assisted by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, SC Law Enforcement Division, Coastal Carolina Department of Public Safety and the Horry County Coroner’s Office.
HCPD adds “community members are reminded that, if they find themselves with a newborn they cannot care for, the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, known as Daniel’s Law, allows the parent to safely surrender the child to a hospital, law enforcement agency, fire station, or church.”
Baby boy Horry was found in a bag in some woods off Highway 544 between Socastee and Conway in December 2008.
The unidentified infant, known as ‘Baby Horry,’ was just hours old when he was abandoned, wrapped in a blanket and left in a shopping bag on Meadowbrook Road.
In December, ceremonies were held 11 years after the baby’s body was found. Read more here.
This is a breaking news story. Count on News13 for updates as we work to learn more.
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