NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Plain City, Ohio, November 10, 2026: Anuradha Manukonda, a 27-year-old Ohio woman whose newborn daughter’s body was discovered in a garbage truck more than three years ago, has been sentenced to 90 days in jail and five years of community control after pleading guilty to gross abuse of a corpse.
Manukonda was sentenced on November 6 in Madison County Common Pleas Court, bringing an end to a lengthy investigation that began on June 16, 2023, when the infant’s body was discovered in the back of a garbage truck on Bluestem Lane in Plain City, a small community northwest of Columbus.
According to a sentencing memorandum cited by The Columbus Dispatch, Manukonda’s attorney, Sanjay K. Bhatt, told the court that his client did not know she was pregnant and unexpectedly delivered what the defense described as a stillborn baby while visiting relatives in Plain City.
The attorney said Manukonda had a medical condition that caused irregular menstrual cycles and had previously received a negative pregnancy test result. He argued that she panicked after the unexpected delivery, wrapped the infant’s body in a plastic bag and placed it in the garbage.
These claims were presented by the defense and have not been independently established. Authorities have said they could not determine whether the baby was born alive or stillborn.
The discovery of the infant’s body in June 2023 shocked the Plain City community. Residents named the unidentified child “Madison Baby Doe” and organized a funeral service attended by more than 100 people. Local businesses and community members contributed toward the funeral and burial expenses, while a memorial stone was donated for the child’s grave.
An extensive investigation followed, involving forensic testing, DNA analysis and efforts to trace the infant’s biological mother.
According to earlier reports by The Columbus Dispatch, investigators recovered DNA evidence from discarded items, including a Q-tip and a beer bottle, which helped them narrow their search to a residence on Bluestem Lane.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation assisted in the forensic analysis. Investigators eventually identified Manukonda, who occasionally visited family members at the residence, as the infant’s biological mother.
Manukonda, who was 24 at the time of the incident, was living in Fairborn, Ohio, when charges were announced in April 2025. Police said she did not live or work in Plain City or Madison County.
The case presented significant challenges for investigators because the infant’s body had sustained extensive injuries.
According to reports citing the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, the newborn had suffered multiple fractures and lacerations. However, investigators could not determine whether the injuries occurred before or after death because the garbage truck’s compactor had severely damaged the body.
The medical examiner was unable to establish the cause of death.
At an April 2025 press conference, Plain City Police Chief Dale McKee said investigators had no evidence proving that the infant was alive when she was placed in the garbage. However, authorities also could not establish that she had been stillborn.
The lack of evidence about the circumstances of the infant’s death meant prosecutors could not pursue homicide charges.
Manukonda ultimately faced a single charge of gross abuse of a corpse, a fifth-degree felony under Ohio law.
She pleaded guilty in August 2026, more than three years after the infant’s body was discovered.
In his sentencing memorandum, Bhatt reportedly told the court that Manukonda had no prior criminal record, had undergone mental health counseling and accepted responsibility for her actions.
On November 6, Judge Eamon P. Costello sentenced her to 90 days of incarceration at the Tri-County Regional Jail and five years of community control, a form of court-supervised sentencing. The Plain City Police Department noted that the offense did not carry a presumption of a prison term.
In a statement following the sentencing, the police department reflected on the investigation and the impact of the case on the community.
“Our community was saddened, shocked, and devastated at the discovery,” the department said, recalling the day the infant was found.
Police described the investigation as extensive and exhaustive, involving advanced forensic techniques, DNA collection and analysis, and persistent detective work.
“With the final chapter written, our community now has a degree of closure,” the department said.
The department also emphasized its commitment to the infant, noting that 1,240 days had passed between the discovery of her body and the sentencing.
“We will always remember that horrific day in the summer of 2023 and we will NEVER forget Madison Baby Doe,” the statement said.
