2 babies found dead outside were buried in unmarked graves. How they changed Indiana law
Noe PadillaINDIANAPOLIS — For almost 24 years, two babies pivotal to Indiana's history were left in unmarked graves — their names and stories mostly forgotten.
Both of these boys died from being left outside in the elements. Unwanted by their parents and alone.
Around them, 50 other babies buried at Washington Park East Cemetery had their time on Earth etched in marble.
But for Ephraim Doe and Jacob David Doe, their names lay hidden in archival documents, only being remembered by those who attended their funerals in the early 2000s.
Their deaths played foundational roles in establishing the state's future safe haven laws and shifted the state's opinions on parents who couldn't care for their babies.
"It was so important for me to honor them and make sure their names were written in the dirt and that we give them the legacy due to them," said Linda Znachko, founder of the "He Knows Your Name" ministry, who has hosted similar events for other babies.
The story of Baby Ephraim and Baby Jacob
Baby Ephraim, on Jan. 26, 2000, was found dead outside a hospital emergency room door.
Clearly, his parent wanted Ephraim to receive the care he needed, but something kept them from walking those few extra steps and handing their five-day-old son to a nurse.
Instead of waking up to the lights of the hospital room, he died of hypothermia. Strangers found him outside early morning clutching onto a little gold angel necklace.
That morning, Indianapolis had experienced three inches of snow, with temperatures dropping as low as 2 degrees that night. Police believed he had been outside for at least 26 hours based on their investigation.
Police spent a year trying to build a case against the parents, but ultimately never discovered their identities.
Epharim's death had an immediate and significant impact on the Indianapolis community. Over 70 strangers attended his funeral on a snowy morning, Feb. 2, 2000.
The fear of prosecution, many theorized, is what kept Empharim's parents from ensuring their son's safety.
"We need to work more to help the moms that are in these situations, and we just don't," said Cynthia Clements, mother of a then-seven-month-old daughter, told journalists at Ephraim's funeral in 2000. She learned about his death while attending a breastfeeding support group for new mothers.
Indiana had been mulling Safe Haven legislation like many states across the country, but Ephraim's death would solidify their decision and on March 24, 2000, then-governor Frank O'Bannon signed Indiana law.
Although the law didn't exist to help Ephraim, it should have saved Baby Jacob.
Just a year later, on Dec. 8, 2001, Jacob was found dead in a trashcan by workers outside a laundromat. He was wrapped in a sheet, several shopping bags and a trash bag. He still had his umbilical cord attached to his tiny body.
At this point, Indiana's Safe Haven law had been enacted for 18 months, but few people in Indianapolis knew. Jacob's death would change that by prompting a widespread awareness campaign.
Jacob was buried next to Ephraim on Dec. 14, 2001, in the presence of about 20 strangers.
And for almost 24 years, these two boys lay together, being slowly forgotten by the world.
That was until Znachko with the "He Knows Your Name" ministry noticed their unmarked graves in April and took a moment to learn about these two boys' short but impactful lives.
The gravestone ceremony for Ephraim and Jacob
On July 1st in front of a small gathering of about 10 people, Ephraim and Jacob finally got the recognition they deserved, when Znachko placed headstones over their graves. A lack of funding kept that from happening during the boys' funerals, she said.
Over the years, the "He Knows Your Name" ministry in partnership with Thomas Monuments has donated dozens of headstones to babies and families who did not have the financial means to provide one.
"The headstone is the ultimate closure to our time on Earth," Znachko said.
During the ceremony, Monica Kelsey, the founder of Safe Haven boxes said the boys' legacy continues to save lives.
Their short lives and tragic deaths became an eye-opening catalyst, changing opinion and creating empathy for parents unable to care for their children.
That shift enabled Kelsey to launch the country's first haven boxes in the state.
Since 2016, 28 babies have been placed inside those boxes in Indiana.