Friday, June 13
12:15 PM - 2:00 PM

Regal Gallery Place

701 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Baby Doe

Director

Jessica Earnshaw

Executive Producer

Jenny Raskin

Producer

Holly Meehl Chapman

Editors

George O’Donnell, Leah Boatright

Consulting Editor

Co-Editor

Assistant Editor

Cinematographers

Jessica Earnshaw, Emily Thomas

Additional Cinematography

Music

Gil Talmi

Sound

Narration

Contact

Ryan Kampe, Visit Films info@visitfilms.com

Thirty 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 devoted mother of three, her quiet suburban life is shattered when DNA evidence links her to the infamous cold case of “Geauga’s Child,” leading to her arrest for murder. Authorities dismiss her claim that the baby was stillborn, and the media swiftly vilify her.

Facing a possible life sentence, Gail turns to her husband, Mark, and their adult children, who struggle to reconcile the woman they love with the accusations against her. With her attorney, Steven, she must confront the weight of societal and religious pressures—and her own long-buried shame—to fight for her freedom.

Baby Doe cuts through the headlines to uncover the human complexity of Gail’s case. With a compassionate yet unflinching lens, the film examines the intersection of women’s health, justice, and the societal forces that continue to shape stories like hers.

Director, Baby Doe

Jessica Earnshaw is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and photojournalist. Her work focuses on criminal justice, familial relationships, and women. Her photography has appeared in National Geographic, The Marshall Project, Mother Jones Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR, amongst others. Her first documentary feature, Jacinta (Hulu/ABC News, 2021), won the Albert Maysles Best New Documentary Director Award at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2020. Jacinta has received nominations from the International Documentary Association for Best Feature Documentary and Best Director, as well as two Cinema Eye nominations for Best Debut Feature and a Spotlight Award. Her film BABY DOE (2025, Impact Partners), a feature documentary, premiered in competition at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival. Jessica was named one of DOC NYC’s “40 under 40” in 2020, she’s a graduate of the International Center of Photography and lives in Brooklyn, New York.