A Manchester, New Hampshire woman faced arraignment Friday morning, Feb. 27, 2026, in connection with the death of her newborn daughter, whose body was discovered floating in Pine Island Pond nearly a year ago in a case that gripped the community and sparked an intensive 11-month investigation.
Hepay Juma, 26, is charged with reckless second-degree murder for causing the death of Baby Jane “Grace” Doe under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life, according to New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella. Juma waived her arraignment Friday morning at Manchester District Court and did not appear in person or on video.
The baby’s body was found around 4 p.m. on March 27, 2025, by someone walking near the pond at Pine Island Park, a tranquil area near Manchester-Boston Regional Airport with walking trails and a playground. Police received a report of an object floating in the water, which turned out to be the body of a newborn female. Investigators determined the infant had been in the water for no more than two days, placing her there sometime between March 25 and March 27, 2025. The death was immediately treated as suspicious following an autopsy, which determined the newborn died by homicide of unspecified means.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Nicholas Chong Yen credited Manchester police for their exhaustive work on the case, saying investigators were “tireless in terms of tracking every lead and following up on information provided by the public.”
The investigation drew significant public attention as authorities struggled to identify the infant. Manchester Police Chief Peter Marr made a public plea for information shortly after the discovery, urging anyone who might have witnessed suspicious activity near the pond to come forward. Police sought information from anyone who might have seen someone discarding an object into the water at Pine Island Park during the three-day window in late March. By April 2, investigators had received approximately 50 leads but remained unable to identify the infant or her parents.
Authorities initially offered a $2,500 reward for information leading to an arrest. Two weeks later, on April 15, they doubled the reward to $5,000. Manchester police deployed the New Hampshire State Police K-9 Unit and conducted multiple searches of the park in the days following the discovery, canvassing the shoreline and surrounding areas for additional evidence.
In the absence of an immediate identification, Manchester police named the baby Grace to celebrate the kindness extended to her by those who refused to let her life go unrecognized. A detective in the department’s Juvenile Division created a tribute portrait—a compassionate artist’s rendering depicting the infant. A public funeral was held on May 12, 2025, at Connor-Healy Funeral Home on Union Street, where community members, state officials, and strangers gathered to pay their respects to a baby none of them had ever known.
Inside the funeral home, Baby Grace rested in a small white casket flanked by pink and white flowers. A Manchester police officer in full dress uniform stood by her side. Mourners filed through to offer prayers for the anonymous newborn whose brief, tragic life had moved an entire community. “The way she was discarded is heartbreaking,” Chief Marr said, “and it is important that we give her a proper farewell.” Baby Grace was laid to rest at Saint Joseph Cemetery in Bedford.
Prosecutors declined to reveal specific details about how investigators identified Juma or the baby’s exact age, referring to her only as a newborn. A police affidavit in the case has been sealed. The baby’s father has been identified, though authorities are not releasing his name or any other identifying information. The exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain under active investigation.
Juma, whose last known address was on Ahern Street in Manchester, remains detained. Public defender Maya Dominguez is representing her. A probable cause hearing has been scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on March 5, 2026.
The case has drawn renewed attention to New Hampshire’s Safe Haven Law, which was expanded in September 2024. Under the updated law, a parent can anonymously surrender a newborn who is not more than 61 days old—up from the previous limit of just seven days. The child can be surrendered at any hospital, police station, or fire station at any time, or at a church during posted hours, without the parent revealing any personally identifiable information. The law also provides new protections preventing evidence obtained solely from the surrender from being used to prosecute parents.
Prosecutors emphasized that the charges and allegations against Juma are merely accusations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The arrest comes after months of painstaking investigative work by Manchester police and the Attorney General’s Office. Authorities are asking anyone who recognizes Juma’s name or has relevant information about the case to contact the Manchester Police Department Tip Line at 603-716-7236. Anonymous tips may also be submitted through the Manchester Crimeline at 603-624-4040.