In the peaceful embrace of Hudson Township, Michigan, an unsettling memory from the past echoes today. Roughly 30 years prior to a grim discovery of an infant in a portable toilet at a music festival in the state, a cleaning team encountered a similarly chilling scene at a campground set against the backdrop of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
“A sanitation crew was servicing the porta-potty when the infant surfaced,” recounted Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick, who leads a genetic genealogy organization. Her team’s efforts eventually led to identifying the mother of the infant, whose body was found in June of 1997.
This infant became forever known as Baby Girl Garnet, her name derived from the serene location where she was discovered. Garnet Lake Campground, enveloped by nature’s solitude, resides within Mackinac County, about 40 miles from the iconic Mackinac Bridge.
Not far from the campground’s boundaries lies Maplewood Cemetery in Hudson Township, where Nexstar’s WOOD caught sight of a small tombstone. This poignant marker, surrounded by angel statuettes, vibrant flowers, and a cheerful rainbow pinwheel, commemorates the short life of this nameless child.
Inscribed succinctly upon the stone is her name: Baby Girl Garnet, 1997.
It’s not clear where the baby discovered June 28, 2026, in a portable toilet at the Electric Forest Music Festival will be laid to rest.
WOOD contacted the Oceana County Medical Examiner’s office regarding burial plans but did not receive an immediate response.
The two unrelated discoveries were separated by nearly thirty years and 300 miles, but the mysteries may be solved through the same groundbreaking process.
If the FBI’s $15,000 reward does not elicit the tip state police need in the Electric Forest case, it’s likely investigators will turn to forensic investigative genetic genealogy at some point.
The rapidly developing tool has identified cold case killers across the country, including California’s Golden State Killer.
Forensic genetic genealogists compare DNA from unidentified remains or crime scenes against samples uploaded to the internet by people tracing their family trees.
“FIGG is a game changer,” said Fitzpatrick, founder and president of Identifinders International LLC. “High resolution human identification.”
Fitzpatrick noted that direct-to-consumer DNA testing companies require that you check a box allowing police to access your potential matches for criminal justice purposes.
“It’s not law enforcement sucking everybody’s DNA from them for malevolent reasons,” explained Fitzpatrick. “It’s public safety, and nobody gets your DNA itself. They just see your lists of matches. It’s for the common good because you could be one of the victims. Your relatives (could be one of the victims). Think about the good this could do.”
Fitzpatrick said detectives contacted her about the Baby Garnet case in 2020, and it took her firm about a year and a half to find the mother.
Nancy Gerwatowski, who was 60 at the time she was bound over for trial in 2024, had been living in the state of Wyoming. But in 1997, she resided in Newberry, Michigan, approximately 25 miles from the Garnet Lake Campground.
“The State alleges Gerwatowski delivered the newborn alone at her Newberry home, during which Baby Garnet died due to asphyxiation,” wrote Danny Wimmer, press secretary for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, in a news release dated May 14, 2024. “(This) death could have been prevented by medical intervention Gerwatowski did not seek. She then, allegedly, concealed the deceased newborn in an outhouse at the campground in Hudson, more than 20 miles out of town.”
The AG reported that Gerwatwoski was released on bond with a GPS tether.
Two years later, the case is still pending; Gerwatowski lost an appeal to toss her alleged confession earlier this year, and records show her defense attorney is trying to exit the case. No trial date has been set.
Fitzpatrick is confident FGG could also identify the woman who gave birth to the baby found in a portable toilet on the final day of Electric Forest, a music festival held annually in Rothbury, about an hour northwest of Grand Rapids.
“I think it’s going to be very similar to Baby Garnet,” remarked Fitzpatrick, referring to the Electric Forest investigation.
What she cannot predict is when state police will seek FIGG and how long the identification will take once the process begins.
“We’ve had cases we’ve solved in five minutes,” said Fitzpatrick. “We’ve had cases we’ve solved over several years. The closer the relatives the better, and the further away, it’s still possible, but it’ll take a little bit of time. … I’ve solved cases based on relatives that were eighth and tenth cousins.”
Anyone with relevant information about the baby found at Electric Forest is asked to submit tips through MichTip or by calling 1-855-MICHTIP. Tips can be submitted anonymously to the FBI via its website.