Monster mum who killed baby twins and dumped them in alley caught years on through DNA
Stephanie Castillo, 36, was apprehended on murder charges on Friday following examination of genetic evidence that led her to the unsolved killing of her tiny sons.
A monster mum who killed new-born twins and dumped them in a rat-infested alley has finally been caught years later through the use of DNA.
Stephanie Castillo, 36, was apprehended on murder charges on Friday. The arrest came following examination of genetic evidence that led her to the unsolved killing of her tiny sons.
The twins have been given the names Zeke and Zane by NYPD officers after they were found in Claremont, a Bronx suburb, in 2020.
Investigators said new evidence revealed Castillo was their mother, according to New York Post sources. NYPD Assistant Chief Michael Baldassano said: "Our detectives had the funeral for these two children. Every year they had a memorial for these two children. They have never stopped caring about this case."
As reported by the Mirror, Castillo has been charged with first and second degree murder charges in relation to both infants' deaths. She has also been charged with counts of murder with intent and manslaughter.
Renford Cole, 75, who found the boys' bodies told The New York Post: "Oh man. This is really a big burden lifted off my mind, a big weight."
"I’m so happy to know that they find the person because those were babies, innocent babies. I am going to sleep better tonight."
On Friday, officers led Castillo from their 44th Precinct building to where the children were found dead in November 2020. One new-born was found partially covered in a pet training pad, having suffered apparent head trauma and his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck.
The other child was found about 20 feet away and was stuffed into a black plastic bag and had no clear signs of injury. Both are understood to have been less than a day old when they died.
Castillo previously lived with her parents, according to sources. She reportedly did not tell anyone she was pregnant.
Forensic evidence, including blood from the suspect and children, helped lead to a break in the case. Castillo's blood allegedly yielded a hit on a genealogical DNA database that included one of the suspect's relatives.
Castillo then inadvertently provided the last piece of evidence. She threw away a drink container that investigators collected and used to extract her DNA, which then matched with the suspected killer.
“Interviews and video canvasses and the really great work of our forensic investigation division brought us to where we are today,” Chief Baldassano said. Police then arrested her on Friday morning.
The arrest is the latest chapter following the tragic discovery. A funeral was arranged for the babies in September 2021 with 20 officers attending.
The twins were placed in a single white casket, which was adorned with a bouquet of white flowers and a large blue bow. Cole said he remembered the Monday that he found the children’s bodies “like it was yesterday."
He added: "I saw [a trash bag] there from early in the morning, but I thought it was garbage. I paid it no mind because people threw garbage back there all the time."