Vigil held for newborn twins found beaten to death and abandoned in NYC alley one year ago

A year after the babies’ bodies were discovered behind an apartment complex in the Bronx, police are still hunting for their mother and their killer

(ABC7)

New Yorkers came together for a vigil in honour of newborn twins who were beaten to death and abandoned one year ago, as the search for the infants’ killer and their mother continues.

The baby boys were dubbed Zeke and Zane by detectives after they were found dead and wrapped in garbage bags behind an apartment building in the Bronx on 9 November 2020.

A medical examiner determined the boys died from blunt force trauma shortly after they were born, as their umbilical cords were still attached.

Dozens of people attended a candlelight vigil held on Tuesday night to mark the anniversary of the discovery, including police officers and members of the Bronx District Attorney’s office.

The NYPD is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to arrests in the case.

Over the past year detectives have continued searching for answers – including the identity of the babies’ mother and the person responsible for their deaths.

NYPD Lt. William O’Toole, the lead investigator on the case, said his team has done dozens of interviews and DNA tests on people living in the area, but to no avail.

“Everyone in the building, people cooperated, you always get a tip, you always get a family member, a relative, a stranger who says hey, we’ve had calls like that, this girl was pregnant, but we got there and we find her baby,” Mr O’Toole told ABC7.

“Yeah, it is strange that a year later and nothing has come forward.”

The lieutenant said he and the young detectives who named the boys are still hopeful that the case can be solved.

“[The detectives] named the babies Zeke and Zane – one means God’s gracious gift, the other means God’s strength,” he said.

“I think that’s more for them so they keep that in their heads and they keep going forward.

“Any time we get a call we go out on it, and I’d just love to get a call.”

The NYPD is offering a $10,000 reward for information on the twins’ deaths (NYPD Crime Stoppers)