Charges Dismissed for Mother in Riverwoods Suitcase Baby Case
Prosecutors in Lake County, Illinois, dismissed all charges against 41-year-old Natalie E. Schram of Bellingham, Washington, after discovering that her newborn baby likely died between November 2009 and February 2010—before the criminal statutes under which she was charged took effect. Schram had previously been charged with two counts of concealing a death, a single count of abusing a corpse, and one count of failing to report either the death or disappearance of a child under the age of 13.
Lake County Judge Dismisses Case Against Schram
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart stated that prosecutors learned the identity of the baby’s father after charges were initially filed. This discovery established the timeline of the infant’s birth and death between November 2009 and February 2010. During a case management conference on Monday morning, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office moved to dismiss the case. Lake County Judge Ari Fisz granted the motion, discharging Schram and releasing her from pretrial conditions. Schram and her attorney, Jonathan Bedi, appeared at the hearing via video according to court records.
The legal framework crumbled because the specific Class 4 felonies filed against Schram did not exist in their charged form during the winter of 2009-2010. Without a viable statutory window matching the forensic timeline, the prosecution could not sustain the indictment.
Discovery of Remains in Riverwoods
The investigation began on May 5, 2020, when the Riverwoods Police Department responded at approximately 8:20 a.m. to the 1800 block of Robinwood Lane. Riverwoods Chief of Police Bruce Dayno reported that Lake County Public Works employees discovered human bones during routine maintenance in a wooded area. The remains were inside a gray Embark rolling carry-on bag partially covered in mud and moss, located in the wooded back section of a property where Schram’s parents lived.
Investigators recovered several personal items inside the suitcase alongside the remains. Police documentation shows that the recovered property featured an Olympus battery charger, a Winnie the Pooh pacifier, and a 2005 Indiana University Kappa Delta homecoming sweatshirt.
Forensic Experts Estimate Infant Age and Death Date
Forensic anthropologist Erin Waxenbaum estimated the infant was roughly one month old at the time of death and found no signs of trauma on the remains. Forensic entomologist Dr. Timothy Huntington determined the estimated date of death fell between December and March of an undetermined year, noting it was extremely unlikely the death occurred during the winter of 2019 into 2020. Morton Arboretum tree root biologist Luke McCormack examined roots that had grown into the suitcase, estimating the bag had remained in place for at least three years, and likely one or two years longer.
Investigators identified Schram—formerly known as Natalie E. Borg—among family members tied to the property within days of the discovery. Law enforcement collected trash from her then-residence in Bismarck, North Dakota, in June 2020. In September 2022, a Riverwoods police detective collected DNA from Schram’s youngest sister at the airport in Newark, New Jersey, as she returned from a trip abroad. The sister stated that one of her siblings attended Indiana University and belonged to the sorority named on the recovered sweatshirt. Analysis conducted by an FBI laboratory in December 2022 concluded that while the sister was not the mother of the infant, she could not be ruled out as a maternal relative.
A Lake County grand jury subsequently indicted an unidentified Jane Doe on May 3, 2023, listing the defendant as an unknown female biological parent and including the baby’s DNA profile with an offense date of May 5, 2020. A detective later traveled to Bellingham in November 2024 to speak with Schram on her front porch. Schram stated she knew nothing about any package at her parents’ house due to a strained relationship with them. During the visit, she called her mother, later stating her mother told her investigators were looking into a fetus. Schram provided a DNA sample after being informed that investigators possessed a search warrant to collect it.
Questions remain regarding how the infant died, as the coroner’s office and forensic reports have not publicly disclosed a cause of death.