Jennifer Lebron was released pending another hearing after being charged in the nearly 25-year-old Round Lake Beach cold case.
ROUND LAKE BEACH, IL — A woman charged in the death of her newborn son, whose body was found in a grocery store dumpster in 2001, appeared Wednesday in Lake County court and was released pending her next hearing.
Jennifer Lebron, 48, faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the infant’s death. Authorities identified her as the child’s mother after investigators reopened the cold case and used genetic genealogy to examine the baby’s DNA. The charges are allegations, and Lebron has not been convicted.
The newborn was found inside a bag in a dumpster behind a grocery store on Rollins Road in Round Lake Beach on Aug. 26, 2001. The location was near the village’s police station. The Lake County coroner later determined that the child was a newborn boy, according to reports and information released by authorities.
The child became known in the community as “Jacob Hope” because investigators did not know his identity. Authorities said the baby had been born alive and died from suffocation. Police spent years trying to determine who had left him in the dumpster, but the investigation went cold.
Another woman was charged with first-degree murder in September 2001. That case was dismissed the following month after investigators determined that she had not been pregnant and was not involved in the baby’s death. The identity of the child’s mother remained unknown for more than two decades.
Round Lake Beach investigators reopened the case in early 2024 and submitted DNA from the infant for genetic genealogy testing. Police said the testing produced a match involving a relative of the child’s biological father. Investigators then identified the father and later identified Lebron as the baby’s mother.
Authorities have said the father is not suspected of criminal activity. Police have not publicly released detailed allegations describing Lebron’s actions before the child was discovered or the evidence supporting each manslaughter count.
Police Chief Ryan Rodriguez and Cmdr. Paul Grace were rookie Round Lake Beach officers when police responded to the scene in 2001. Grace said the case remained unforgettable for the department and continued to drive officers to seek answers. Rodriguez said the arrest was an important step toward accountability for the child.
Lebron was released after Wednesday’s court appearance and is expected to return to court as the criminal case proceeds. Information about her next hearing and whether she has entered a plea was not immediately available in the reports reviewed.
Author note: Last updated July 17, 2026.