Baby Doe

Where to watch

Women + Director, Women-Centered Stories

Baby Doe

A Fiscally Sponsored Project

Director/Producer/DP:

Jessica Earnshaw

Producer:

Holly Meehl Chapman

Co-Producer:

John Rudolf

2025
100m minutes

30 years ago, Gail Ritchey, a young woman from a conservative Christian community in rural Ohio, gave birth alone and left her newborn in the woods. Now a mother of three, her quiet suburban life is shattered when DNA evidence links her to “Geauga’s Child,” and she is arrested for murder – despite saying the baby was stillborn. Facing a life sentence, Gail leans on her family for support as she confronts the weight of societal and religious pressures.

Directed by Jessica Earnshaw (Jacinta), BABY DOE cuts through the headlines to uncover the human complexity of Gail’s case – examining the intersection of women’s health, justice, and the outside forces that continue to shape stories like hers.

Official Selection – Festivals:
2025 South By Southwest
2025 IFF Boston
2025 MKE Film Festival
2025 Seattle International Film Festival
Honors:
2025 Cleveland International Film Festival Global Health Competition Winner