It was a case that rocked the town of Greenwich in 1986—a newborn boy found strangled to death in a dumpster. Now, 39 years later, a Florida woman admitted to killing her baby all those years ago.

On Thursday, Janita Philips, initially charged with murder in 2021, pleaded to a reduced charge of first-degree manslaughter in exchange for a fully suspended 20-year sentence and five years of probation.

Stamford State's Attorney Paul Ferencek said the prosecution's decision to make an offer without prison time came after an extensive psychological report found Philips had acted under extreme emotional disturbance.

“I have read the report very carefully and have discussed it with the defense. I had it peer reviewed,” Ferencek stated after going through the facts of the case.

On the morning of May 16, 1986, a sanitation worker discovered the body of a baby in the back of his truck after emptying a dumpster next to an apartment building on Havemeyer Place. Greenwich police said that’s where Philips secretly gave birth in her apartment, then killed the child and left him in the dumpster.

“The baby was wrapped in a plastic bag, and there were some other items inside the bag, as well. It was attached to the placenta, which indicated it was a new birth,” Ferencek said.

According to court documents, Philips was interviewed in the case back in 1986 and considered a person of interest, but she denied any knowledge of the newborn and denied being pregnant. Police said soon after, she moved to Florida with her husband.

“The case became cold. In 2020, the Greenwich Police Cold Case Unit reopened the case based on new improvements in DNA,” Ferencek explained.

Police said advancements in forensic testing allowed them to re-examine previously collected evidence, which confirmed blood on those items was a maternal match to the baby. Additional investigating led police to Philips’ home in Florida, where investigators collected garbage left on the curb and got a DNA match, according to her arrest warrant.

When investigators interviewed Philips, she confessed to committing the crime, “in a state of diminished capacity,” Ferencek said. “She indicated that at first, she didn't realize she was pregnant. She and her husband were experiencing a number of severe financial difficulties. She went into denial, and one day was surprised to give birth to the child.”

Ferencek also told the court that the investigation determined Philips’ husband wasn’t aware of what she’d done or that she’d even given birth.

Attorney Stephen DeLeo, who represents Philips, had no comment after court, but following her arrest in 2021, he and his co-counsel told News 12, “It’s a very, very tragic situation, and she’s had to live with this grief for 35 years.” They also said Philips overcame what happened and went on to live “a stellar life,” raising a family with her husband and working steadily for 30 years in the same industry.

Philips has no prior criminal history.

Sentencing is set for June 24.