“I did it.” Those are the words Denise Merker, 55, allegedly said to police while confessing to killing her newborn baby in 1993, according to a copy of her felony complaint obtained by PEOPLE. Merker is now charged with second-degree murder in the cold case, which police have been trying to solve for the past 33 years.
Details of the Crime and Merker’s Confession
Baby Jane Doe was found dead on the side of the road on Sept. 27, 1993, in Calverton, N.Y., located about 70 miles east of Manhattan on Long Island. On Feb. 2, 2026, Merker allegedly admitted to committing the crime while speaking with a detective from the Suffolk County Police Department. The complaint states that Merker told the detective in “sum and substance”: “I did it. I did everything,” and later added, “I put the paper towel in the baby’s mouth because she was crying.”
Legal Proceedings and Merker’s Arrest
Merker was booked into custody the following day and has remained at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility since then. She is expected to make her first appearance on March 2, after her first two scheduled court dates were postponed for unknown reasons. It is not clear why Merker allegedly confessed to killing her child now, 33 years after the newborn’s death.
