DNA Leads to Murder Charges Nearly 30 Years After Newborn Was Found in Movie Theater Toilet

COMMACK, N.Y. — For nearly three decades, a newborn boy found dead in a Long Island movie theater restroom remained at the center of an unsolved homicide. Investigators had preserved a sample of his blood. Now, prosecutors say, advances in DNA testing have helped identify his mother—and brought her to court on murder charges.

Michelle Chronick Tyson, 59, of Virginia, was arraigned Thursday, Oct. 29, on two counts of second-degree murder. She pleaded not guilty after being arrested in Hampton, Virginia, the previous day and extradited to Suffolk County.

The investigation began around 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 18, 1996, when employees at the Commack Multiplex discovered an infant inside a toilet in the women’s restroom and contacted police.

An autopsy determined that the boy had been born alive and was full-term. The medical examiner concluded that he died from asphyxia involving submersion in water and ruled his death a homicide, according to prosecutors. The child became known as “Baby Boy Doe.”

The breakthrough came from evidence collected during the original investigation.

In 2024, Suffolk County’s Cold Case Task Force submitted the preserved blood sample to a private laboratory. Scientists developed a detailed DNA profile, giving investigators a new avenue to pursue long after the initial search for answers had stalled.

Authorities subsequently identified Tyson as the infant’s likely biological mother. On Aug. 26, 2026, investigators obtained a warrant to collect a cheek swab from her. Prosecutors say subsequent testing confirmed the biological relationship. Tyson was 29 when the baby died.

However, the publicly released account leaves significant questions unanswered. Prosecutors have not detailed the additional evidence they believe establishes Tyson’s responsibility for the death beyond the DNA findings identifying her as the mother. That distinction will matter as the murder case proceeds.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said the passage of time had not lessened the seriousness of the allegations.

“The alleged circumstances of this infant’s death are deeply disturbing,” Tierney said, emphasizing his office’s commitment to pursuing the case despite the intervening decades.

Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven Pilewski ordered Tyson held in custody. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 20. If convicted on the top count, she faces a potential sentence of 25 years to life.

Her attorney, Christopher Gioe, was not immediately available for comment, according to local reporting. The charges remain allegations, and Tyson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.