Riverhead Woman Charged With 1993 Infanticide
A Riverhead woman has been arrested for allegedly killing a newborn baby who was found dead in Calverton more than three decades ago, according to court records and reports.
Denise Reischman Merker was charged with second-degree murder and is scheduled to face a Suffolk County court judge on March 2, records show. She reportedly pleaded not guilty at Riverhead Town Justice Court following her arrest on Feb. 2.
A cleaning crew found the 7-pound, 21-inch baby girl with umbilical cord still attached in a plastic bag on the side of Route 25 on Sept. 27, 1993, according to a federal database of unidentified human remains.
The suspect is represented by Suffolk County Legal Aid, who was not immediately available for comment. Prosecutors declined to comment.
Vetted Hamptons Resources
