RENDON, Texas - Investigators have arrested a woman identified as the mother of three infant corpses found hidden under a trailer in Rendon in southern Tarrant County. However, authorities said there are still many questions that still need to be answered.
Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said DNA identified Rachel New, 36, as the mother.
Investigators say New refused to answer questions Thursday when confronted with the evidence. She was arrested for tampering with evidence, a second degree felony.
The mystery began in March 2008 when a landlord found fetal or infant remains in a suitcase not far from the trailer he rented to New and her brother. The property is in the 6000 block of Tranquility Circle.
In August of this year, the landlord's son found more human remains while cleaning beneath the trailer after New moved out. The remains of the infant boy and girl were badly decomposed. According to an arrest warrant, some of the remains were doused with bleach before being bagged up and stored beneath the trailer porch.
Anderson said there is no way to determine how the babies died or whether they were stillborn or delivered alive.
Investigators admit they did not test New for DNA after the first set of remains were found in March 2008. They said it was not clear she lived in the trailer at the time.
After the second discovery, sheriff's investigators took voluntary DNA samples from 23 people. The DNA match was made by scientists at the UNT Health Science Center.
