LONGVIEW, TX – A 27-year-old cold case in Longview has led to the arrest of the child’s mother, now identified as 47-year-old Misty Marie Mitchell.
In June 1998, Longview Police officers responded to W. Harrison Road and Jordan Valley Road, where a deceased newborn was discovered in a field. The infant, named Baby Jane Doe, was determined to be the victim of homicide. At the time, investigators were unable to identify the parents despite an extensive investigation and public appeals.
In 2025, detectives reviewing unsolved cases used advanced genetic profiling technology, which identified Mitchell as a possible parent. During an interview, she admitted to being the baby’s mother. Mitchell was 19 years old at the time of the child’s death.
She was arrested and charged with Capital Murder. Her bond has been set at $750,000. Court records show Mitchell has been arrested more than a dozen times since 1998 on charges including family violence assault, theft, and drug-related offenses.
“The Longview Police Department is committed to seeking justice for victims and their families, no matter how much time has passed,” the department said in a statement.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to call the Longview Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 903-237-1110.
