Mother of baby angel found dead in Texas pasture 20 years ago arrested

A Texas high school employee has been arrested after allegedly abandoning her newborn baby in a cow pasture with her umbilical cord still attached more than 20 years ago — leaving the little girl to bleed to death, authorities said.

Shelby Stotts, 48, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of second-degree manslaughter after DNA testing ultimately confirmed she was the baby's biological mother, according to the Texas attorney general's office.

The baby, long nicknamed “Angel Baby Doe,” was found on the side of a road near Fort Worth in November 2001.

Investigators said evidence later determined the baby was still alive and breathing when he was born.

Authorities say Angel Baby Doe eventually bled to death because her umbilical cord was not clamped.

Stott's DNA was not linked to the crime until last September, court documents show.

It was not immediately clear, however, how authorities came to identify her as a person of interest in the decades-old case.

She is accused of recklessly causing the death of her baby because she did not seek prompt medical attention after giving birth, authorities said.

Stotts had worked as a paraprofessional at Cleburne High School, FOX 4 reported.

The Cleburne Independent School District said it was “aware of the arrest and grand jury indictment of Shelby Stotts. The Cleburne Independent School District takes these allegations very seriously. Shelby Stotts is no longer employed by the Cleburne Independent School District.”

It was not immediately clear when Stotts left her position, or whether she was fired.

“After more than two decades, we are closer to securing justice for Angel Baby Doe and ensuring that the person responsible for this tragedy is held accountable,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement.

“I am grateful for the talent and tenacity of our investigators, and I commend the law enforcement professionals of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office for their dedication to uncovering the truth.”