Minnesota woman, 50, pleads guilty to leaving her newborn baby boy to die on shore of lake in 2003

A Minnesota woman has pleaded guilty to leaving her newborn baby to die at a lake located on the Mississippi River in 2003 - as authorities also found her DNA on a second set of remains from 1999. 

Jennifer Matter, 50, admitted to police that she had given birth to a baby boy at Methodist Beach in 2003 and left him there with no intention of coming back - despite it only being a freezing 32 degrees outside. 

For years, the town of Red Wing has been searching for the mother, who was arrested on May 10, 2022, in Belvidere Township. DNA samples from both infants were taken and using genealogy, detectives were able to link the baby boy and a baby girl - who were found on the Mississippi River four years apart - to Matter. 

Both babies were found with their umbilical cords still attached and both were conceived with different men, according to Fox 9 Minneapolis. Neither baby belonged to her ex-husband, whom she has two other children with. 

Jennifer Matter, 50, was arrested on May 10, 2022, and pleaded guilty on Wednesday for the death of her baby boy in 2003

Matter (middle, with her daughter, left) admitted to giving birth to a baby boy on a shore at Methodist Beach and leaving her child behind in the freezing December weather

She was also connected through DNA to a 1999 baby girl (left), who she eventually admitted to dumping at a harbor overnight after giving birth in her bathroom. Both babies were found with their umbilical cords attached and were conceived through different men (pictured right: the 2003 baby)

Investigators got in contact with a relative to 'quickly confirm the identity of the babies' mother' and they eventually spoke to the father of the first baby in 2021, which lead them to her. 

When she was interviewed by police, Matter, who is divorced, denied knowing anything about the case. Even after her DNA sample matched with the infants, she continued to deny knowing either baby existed. 

However, upon a third interview with authorities, she admitted she knew about the first baby, but had been 'in and out of jail, drinking too much, and doing a lot of stupid things' at the time. 

When Matter dumped the first baby in 1999, she was already a mother-of-two. She told detectives she was unaware she was pregnant and had given birth to a stillborn baby in a bathroom at home after dropping her children off at school. 

She then dumped the 'blue' baby in a boat harbor overnight, according to court documents viewed by Kare 11. The baby was later found by fisherman. 

She admitted she should've have sought help, but said her 'mind was not there.'  

Charges have not been filed for the 1999 baby, but on Wednesday, Matter did plead guilty the 2003 child. 

Fishermen found the first baby after she dumped her at a harbor (pictured). She has not faced charges for the first baby and it is unclear if she will 

The second baby was found by teenagers in December 2003 on the beach (pictured). She pleaded guilty to the charges pertaining to the second baby on Wednesday and could face up to 27 years in prison if convicted 

Four years later, she would dump another baby a public beach in Frontenac after she went into labor on the shore. Unlike the first baby, she admitted the baby was 'breathing fine,' but she was 'trying to lay low because she had an arrest warrant and believed cops were looking for her.'  

A group of teenagers had found the second child on December 7, 2003. Matter had left the child with hopes that 'someone in the nearby houses would find the baby,' court documents said, according to CBS News. 

'I left (the baby) on the beach, walked away, got into my car, and drove away with no intention of returning,' she wrote in a plea agreement. 

Matter could face up to 27 years in prison for the 2003 baby. It is unclear if prosecutors are considering further charges for the 1999 baby.     

Matter will be sentenced on April 28.