North Texas investigators solve 23-year-old ‘Angel Baby Doe’ cold case, mother charged

Investigators have resolved a long-standing cold case involving the death of “Angel Baby Doe,” a newborn discovered on the side of a road near Fort Worth in November 2001, authorities announced.

The infant girl’s body was found in Johnson County, between Alvarado and Burleson, wrapped in a jacket with her umbilical cord still attached, indicating she was likely born alive outside of a medical facility.

Steve Shaw, a retired detective from Johnson County, vividly recalled his initial involvement in the case, having been among the first responders to the scene.

Following extensive investigations and numerous interviews over the years, including the collection of genetic samples, the case remained unresolved until June 2021. At that time, Johnson County investigators turned to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas, for advanced DNA testing to establish the child’s identity.

“Othram successfully developed a DNA profile for the infant using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®,” stated the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office in a recent news release.

Utilizing this profile, Othram’s forensic genetic genealogy team conducted extensive research, leading to new investigative leads. Subsequently, in September 2023, the Texas Attorney General’s Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit confirmed through DNA analysis that Shelby Stotts, 48, is the biological mother of “Angel Baby Doe.”

The Attorney General’s Office further indicated that Stotts, employed as a paraprofessional at Cleburne High School, faces charges of second-degree manslaughter. The indictment alleges that Stotts caused her newborn daughter’s death by leaving her unattended on the roadside, failing to seek immediate medical care after childbirth, and neglecting to clamp the baby’s umbilical cord, resulting in fatal bleeding.

Stotts was arrested and detained on a $100,000 bond at the Johnson County jail, declining requests for an interview from NBC 5.