An infant in found unresponsive Jenna Nicole Crabtree, a five-month-old infant girl, was born prematurely on March 29, 1996. After spending the first couple of months of her life in the hospital, she was released to her parents, Richard and Heather Crabtree, and went home to their apartment in Windham, Maine. On August 22, 1996, her mother found her unresponsive in a wicker bassinet that had been placed in a closet.
First responders arrived at the home to find the baby deceased.
Initially, it was thought that Jenna may have died from complications related to her premature birth or from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. However, an autopsy soon revealed a much more tragic and violent end to her short life. The cause of death was determined to be a skull fracture, caused by her head being hit with significant force against a hard, flat surface. The medical examiner also discovered 17 other broken bones in various stages of healing, including fractures to her ribs, femur, ankle, wrist, and shin. These injuries were indicative of ongoing physical abuse, including forceful shaking and squeezing, that had been occurring for weeks.
Despite the clear evidence of homicide and abuse, no arrests have ever been made in connection with Jenna's death, and the case remains an unsolved homicide. Her parents were the sole caregivers during the six weeks she was home from the hospital. In the months following her death, Jenna's father, Richard Crabtree, attempted suicide, telling police he was depressed over the loss of his daughter. The investigation into who caused Jenna's fatal injuries has been hampered by a lack of sufficient evidence to charge any individual.
