Minnesota woman charged with murder in death of baby discovered in the Mississippi River in 2003

A Minnesota woman has been arrested for the death of her infant who was found in the Mississippi River over 20 years ago.

Fifty year old Jennifer Matter has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, Goodhue County Sheriff Marty Kelly announced in a press conference.

Jennifer Matter: Photo by Goodhue County

According to the criminal complaint, Matter admitted to investigators she put the baby in the water in 1999 (the girl named after death “Jamie.”)

Matter claimed that baby was born blue, not breathing.

She admitted the second baby in 2003, now named Corey, was breathing.

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“For over 20 years, the deaths of these innocent babies have haunted our community and the countless law enforcement officers that have worked tirelessly on this case,” Kelly said. “One of these babies, a girl, would have been living her adult life at 22 years of age. The other, a boy, would have likely graduated high school, with his whole adult life ahead of him.”He said that “through DNA … Matter has been identified as the mother of the babies in 1999 and in 2003.”

On Tuesday, Matter’s bail was set at $1.5 million without conditions and $750,000 with conditions.

Matter’s deceased baby boy was found at the Methodist Campus Beach in Frontenac in 2003 and the baby girl was discovered at the Mississippi River’s Lower Boat Harbor near Red Wing in 1999.

If convicted, Matter faces up to 40 years in prison.