GARNET, Mich. — The woman who confessed she is the mother of an infant girl found dead in the septic vault behind a campground outhouse in 1997 has been returned to the Upper Peninsula to face charges related to the baby’s murder.

The 58-year-old Nancy Ann Gerwatowski, formerly Niskala, was extradited to Michigan late Saturday night and lodged in the Mackinac County Jail. She had been living in Wyoming, but was a former resident of the Garnet, Mich. area, near where the infant, known by locals as “Baby Garnet,” was discovered at the Garnet Lake Campground.

After her extradition back to Michigan, which was facilitated by the Michigan State Police 7th District Fugitive Team, the Mackinac County 92nd District Court was notified of Gerwatowski’s arrest and return to Michigan. The court held a special video-conference arraignment Sunday morning, charging Gerwatowski with a single count of Homicide — Open Murder — Felony.

“Open murder” is a catchall charge. Gerwatowski could be found guilty of any degree of murder or manslaughter.

The infant was discovered in the vault on June 26,1997, by septic worker Jame Everhart of Gould City, who noticed the cement block covering the vault had been moved out of place. The remote, nine-site campground on Garnet Lake in Hudson Township had only been open a short time after being closed for two years.

“That baby never probably would have been discovered if we hadn’t decided to pump out those tanks,” Bill Hanson, who served as the Hudson Township supervisor, told the Mining Journal not long after Baby Garnet’s discovery.

Little was known about the infant. She was white, born full-term, was born sometime around June 1, 1997, an autopsy performed at the time revealed no apparent cause of death, and it was unknown if the infant was born alive or was stillborn.

The case went cold, but in the summer of 2017, investigators from the Mackinac County Sheriff’s Office and the Michigan State Police St. Ignace Post once again began a review of the “Baby Garnet” case, looking for any further leads or information that could be followed up on. Once a review of the prior reports was completed, investigators decided to use forensic genetic genealogy to further the investigation.

Police began working with a genealogist, and after the initial investigation into the DNA submitted by the investigators, the genealogist was able to provide police with family blood lines for further review.

The genealogist was also able to identify Gerwatowski as Baby Garnet’s birth mother.

On July 12, 2022, officers traveled to Wyoming to make contact with Gerwatowski, who confirmed she was the Baby Garnet’s birth mother. Additional statements were made during Gerwatowski’s contact with investigators that gave probable cause to arrest her for murder.

“I want to again thank all the law enforcement personnel and Identifiers International, LLC for their hard work and diligence to help solve this case by identifying the perpetrator and brining criminal charges,” Mackinac County Sheriff Edward M. Wilk said in a press release issued Monday.

Gerwatowski is being held without bond in the Mackinac County Jail. Her next court appearance has been set for Aug. 9 at 9:30 a.m. in Mackinac County District Court.