Virginia woman indicted for murder in 1991 case of infant found in EKU dumpster
Kentucky State Police have charged a Virginia woman in connection to the death of an infant found inside an Eastern Kentucky University campus dumpster in 1991.
Jennifer Cummins, 55, of Fairfax, Va., was arrested Jan. 6 by a Fairfax County tracking task force after KSP determined she was responsible for the death of the infant, known as “Baby Jane Doe.”
In 1991, a sanitation worker on EKU’s campus discovered the remains in a Richmond landfill.
“Despite investigative efforts at the time, the case later went cold,” KSP said in a Wednesday release.
In recent years, state police reexamined the case with new advancements in forensic science and investigative technology, which helped identify Cummins as the person of interest. The agency did not say what technology they used to link Cummins to Baby Jane Doe.
The state medical examiner ruled Baby Jane Doe was born alive and healthy before she was placed inside the dumpster.
Cummins was indicted by a Madison County grand jury Dec. 23, 2025, according to online court records.
The indictment states that on or about Nov. 20 or 21, 1991, Cummins committed murder when she “intentionally abandoned” the newborn in a dumpster and caused her death by exposure.
The Virginia woman is currently lodged in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, awaiting extradition to Kentucky. An attorney is not listed for her in online court records.
This story was originally published January 7, 2026 at 7:11 PM.
