One TikToker’s DNA test has unexpectedly led to the reopening of a notorious cold case in her town and culminated in the arrest of her grandmother.
Jenna Rose, anticipating only an exploration of her ancestry and the possibility of discovering unknown relatives, was unprepared for the twists that followed her DNA submission.
Shortly after her test, detectives from the Mackinac County Sheriff’s Office and Michigan State Police reached out, revealing they were re-investigating the 27-year-old Baby Garnet case. Her DNA matched a suspect in the case, identified as her maternal grandmother, Nancy Ann Gerwatoski.
The case, well-known in Jenna’s hometown, revolves around an infant’s death at about 36 to 42 weeks gestation. The infant was discovered dead in a pit toilet at the Garnet Lake Campground in the Upper Peninsula’s Hudson Township, as outlined in a Michigan Department of Attorney General press release from May.
Authorities had pursued the case throughout the summer, but neither witnesses nor credible leads emerged.
After law enforcement contacted her, Jenna agreed to submit her DNA to a global database, initially suspecting it might be a ‘scam’, to aid detectives with their inquiry.
Her DNA indicated a ‘distant relative’ connection to the suspect, leading police to request her mother’s DNA, which subsequently directed them to Gerwatoski.
“They ended up finding out that it’s not a distant relative to my mom, but a direct relative, and the only other people it could have been was my mom’s mother,” Jenna shared in her TikTok video.
“They kind of started doing their own investigation and figured out that’s who it was. So we were mind blown.”
Despite the familial tie and the shocking revelation, Jenna disclosed that she has never actually met her grandmother.
“Mind you, I’ve never met this woman before. She is literally the f***ing person that they’ve been looking for, for 25 years. And it’s all because of a f***ing Ancestry DNA kit,” she expressed.
@__jennarose__ sorry this video is so long, but thank you if you stuck around to watch the whole thing. its time we start talking. #foryou #foryourpagetiktok #fyppp #foryourpage #fyp #truecrime #ancestrydna #ancestry #michigan
The police statement alleges that Gerwatoski ‘delivered the newborn alone at her Newberry home’, where the infant died from asphyxiation. Gerwatoski reportedly failed to seek medical help for the ‘preventable death’, later hiding the newborn’s remains in an outhouse at the campground in Hudson.
According to The Independent, further DNA analysis obtained from Gerwatoski through a search warrant verified her as Baby Garnet’s parent.
Gerwatoski now faces charges of open murder, involuntary manslaughter, and concealing the death of an individual.
The open murder charge could potentially result in a life sentence.
Court records indicate a hearing is scheduled for December 12 to determine whether aspects such as Gerwatoski’s lack of prenatal care and her consideration of abortion can be introduced in the trial, as reported by ClickOnDetroit.
The hearing will also decide whether the charge of concealing a death should stand.