A Jacksonville woman has been charged with Capital Murder in connection with the homicide of a newborn baby boy discovered in Pine Bluff more than 30 years ago, according to state and local authorities.
Stephanie Amos, 52, was taken into custody on September 14, 2026, by Arkansas State Police (ASP) Cold Case Unit agents and Pine Bluff Police Department (PBPD) officers. Authorities served an arrest warrant at an undisclosed location, and she was transported to the Jefferson County Detention Center, where she was ordered held without bond.
The charges stem from a grim discovery on June 22, 1992, when the infant’s body was found in a ditch on South Mulberry Street in Pine Bluff. An autopsy performed at the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory determined the baby had died from craniocerebral trauma, and the death was ruled a homicide. Despite an initial investigation by the PBPD, the case went cold for decades.
Progress was made in October 2025 when the PBPD reached out to Arkansas State Police’s Cold Case Unit for assistance. That same month, the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory notified ASP investigators of a DNA match. A profile created from recovered evidence linked the newborn to Amos, whose DNA was in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) due to prior felony arrests and convictions.
Following the breakthrough, ASP Cold Case agents and PBPD officers continued exploring the circumstances around the infant’s death. Their findings were submitted to the 11th West Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in June 2026. Prosecutors reviewed the case and, on July 29, 2026, advised that Amos should be charged with Capital Murder. A warrant for her arrest was issued shortly thereafter.
Amos was a resident of Pine Bluff at the time of the incident. Authorities have not released further details about the ongoing investigation or Amos's alleged connection to the crime.
This arrest represents a significant milestone for the ASP Cold Case Unit, which was established to resolve long-standing unsolved crimes in Arkansas using advancements in forensic technology, including DNA analysis. ASP and PBPD officials continue to work together in this case as it proceeds through the judicial system.