LANCASTER – A former Lancaster County woman was convicted of third-degree murder in the death of her baby and sentenced to 5 ½ to 20 years in prison in Lancaster County Court. 46-year-old Tara Brazzle of Valparaiso, Indiana entered a plea acknowledging the Commonwealth had sufficient evidence to convict her, but didn’t specifically admit to the conduct. Baby Mary Anne – who was approximately 36 weeks gestation – was found dead Sept. 24, 2007 in a dumpster in the parking lot of the Lancaster YMCA’s former location at 572 N. Queen Street. Brazzle worked at the YMCA. The Lancaster County Coroner determined the baby was born alive and died of complications of asphyxia. DNA collected in the case was submitted to Parabon NanoLabs, which has become well-known for combining genetic analysis with genealogical research to determine the ancestry of a victim or defendant. Parabon pieced together that Brazzle was the mother of the child. Brazzle admitted to being the mother and giving birth at her former residence in Ronks, Lancaster County.
TINA BRAZZLE