Appalachian Unsolved: Who is baby Wyatt?

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — One small baby likely took his final breath in the still waters of Melton Hill Lake.

It was March 26, 2020. The baby was spotted in the water with a shirt wrapped around his head. He was young, just born, with his umbilical cord still attached. Jason Robbins with the Oak Ridge Police Department was on patrol and helped with the crime scene log. Now, he’s leading the investigation.

“It’s heartbreaking when you think about it, really,” Robbins said. “With me, as being a parent, it resonates with me on a personal level because I don’t think we ever want to see that happen to a child.”

He said investigators explored several theories, including that the baby was born to a local teenager. They checked in with local schools, hospitals and pregnancy resource centers, but that didn’t lead to the baby’s mom.

There are also no outstanding missing or unidentified persons cases, so it’s not likely that the mother died in the water with her baby. That led to the working theory that the mom threw her baby into the water shortly after birth, perhaps even from the Edgemoor Road Bridge.

As investigators worked through these theories and tips and leads, they came up with at least one thing definite. They would name the infant “Baby Wyatt,” meaning little warrior.

“It’s one of the biggest cases that I’ve ever worked,” Robbins said. “I’m very determined (to solve it).”

Back in 2021, police submitted Baby Wyatt’s DNA to Othram, a lab in Texas. The results determined Baby Wyatt was of 89% African ancestry. Investigators used that information and followed other genetic leads, even out of state. But, around five years later, they still don’t know what happened to Baby Wyatt or who he is. 

“Ultimately, our main goal is to be able to bury Baby Wyatt,” Robbins said. “And we can’t do that until we identify the mother and the father.” 

But his given name is now a permanent part of Oak Ridge history, with a Safe Haven Baby Box blessed in his honor, it’s a move that gives Investigator Robbins hope for the future. But, it still doesn’t answer his questions from the past.

“I guess, (I want to know) the why,” he said. “What made you feel like this was your only option?”

Robbins said he’s closer than he’s ever been to solving this case and is hopeful he’ll have the answers by the end of the year. In the meantime, anyone with information can reach out to the Oak Ridge Police Department at (865) 425-4399.