By Brice Burge
A 58-year-old woman was extradited and arraigned over the weekend in one of the Upper Peninsula’s most infamous suspicious death cases.
Nancy Ann Gerwatowski (née Niskala) was extradited to Mackinac County from the state of Wyoming on Saturday, July 30, 2022, by Michigan State Police on a homicide-open murder warrant. Gerwatowski was arraigned by videoconference Sunday morning in 92nd District Court of Mackinac County. She was denied bond and will remain lodged at Mackinac County Jail.
“I want to again thank all law enforcement personnel and Identifiers International, LLC for their hard work and diligence to help solve this case,” Mackinac County Sheriff Edward Wilk said.
The “Baby Garnet” case refers to a newborn baby found dead in a pit toilet in 1997. The body was found at the Garnet Lake Campground in Hudson Township of Mackinac County, sparking the moniker. A review of the case in 2017 led to new DNA evidence linking the newborn to Gerwatowski.
Gerwatowski’s next hearing will be Wednesday, August 9 at 9:30 a.m. in Mackinac County District Court. The district court is ruled by Beth Gibson for both Mackinac and Luce counties. If the case advances to circuit court, it will be judged by 11th Circuit Court Judge Brian Rahilly.