The truth behind an infant’s burned remains found beneath a statue more than a quarter-century ago has finally come to light with a chilling confession from a woman who once lived just blocks away.

According to Daily Mail, Keri Mazzuca, 52, admitted to killing her newborn son, known to the public as “Baby Moses,” whose body was discovered wrapped in a scorched pillowcase in Albany’s Washington Park in 1997, leading to a 25-year prison sentence in 2025 following new DNA analysis.

The case gripped a generation of Albany residents after the gruesome discovery shocked local workers one spring morning in 1997. Park employees found the charred bundle under a statue of Moses. When they prompted it with a shovel, they uncovered the small, lifeless body of a baby boy.

Investigators faced an uphill climb that spanned 28 years as the infant, quickly dubbed “Baby Moses,” became a haunting mystery and a symbol of loss within the community. Despite police appeals and public mourning, definitive answers remained painfully elusive for decades.

Decades Of Grief And Mystery Echo In Albany

City leaders embraced the infant as one of their own, naming him Moses Washington and formally adopting the child’s memory. A white casket and marble lamb marked his resting place at Graceland Cemetery, where his headstone reads: “Citizen of Albany, child of God.”

Over the years, detectives followed many leads, but no solid breakthrough materialized. The case stayed dormant until the FBI, using genetic genealogy techniques, traced a biological relative linked to the deceased child just a few years ago.

In the summer of 2024, law enforcement finally obtained permission to collect trash outside the home of Keri Mazzuca in upstate New York. DNA confirmed the undeniable: Mazzuca was the boy’s biological mother.

Suspect Initially Calm, Then Collapses With Guilt

During a police interview in September 2024, Mazzuca showed little emotion and denied knowing anything about the child’s fate—until detectives showed her an image from the crime scene. She visibly recoiled and whispered, “I did it.”

Detective Rob Lawyer pressed her on the admission. Mazzuca confirmed the words, again saying, “I did it.” The full picture soon emerged: giving birth alone, hiding the infant’s body, and setting it aflame in shame and panic.

She told investigators she had birthed the child in her bathtub and panicked when the baby appeared lifeless. “I didn’t know how to get rid of it,” she said. At first, she claimed she gave the body to a stranger in the park and denied the act of arson.

Detectives Challenge Her Story, Leading To Full Confession

When Det. Lawyer firmly told her that handing off the body to someone else was implausible, and Mazzuca finally admitted to lighting the fire herself. She placed the baby in a towel, drove him to the park, and dropped him underneath the statue after setting him alight.

Questions about the infant’s cause of death lingered. The autopsy determined the child had been born alive and did not die naturally. When pressed further, Mazzuca confessed to suffocating him by putting him in a bag, though she said parts of the memory were unclear. Her court appearance in February 2025 drew heavy attention. With her voice shaking, she admitted to manslaughter and was sentenced in April to 25 years in prison.

Why This Story Matters

Albany residents long carried the grief of a child lost under terrible circumstances. This resolution offers a form of closure to a city that never forgot "Baby Moses." The case underscores the importance of persistence and technological progress in solving cold cases. It also highlights the hidden pain and complexity that can exist behind unsolved crimes. In remembering this tragic story, the community is reminded of the significance of compassion, awareness, and justice, no matter how many years pass.

Conclusion

For 28 years, the mystery of who left a burned newborn in Albany’s Washington Park haunted police and residents alike. Keri Mazzuca, who lived nearby at the time, was revealed to be the mother through groundbreaking DNA technology. Her confession, made during a police interrogation in 2024, led to her manslaughter conviction and a lengthy prison sentence.

The infant, honored posthumously by the city, finally received justice after generations of unanswered questions. The story of Baby Moses highlights society’s obligations to our most vulnerable and the extraordinary efforts that can bring long-buried truths into light.