Abducted baby found in area of Schenectady’s General Electric campus dies

By WNYT

Schenectady police: infant dead after Amber Alert issued

A missing child case has quickly turned into a criminal case after Schenectady police say a baby was found after an alleged abduction. That baby is Halo Branton. An Amber Alert was issued Sunday morning, but police say Halo died after being taken to the hospital.

An abducted baby that prompted an Amber Alert on Sunday morning has died, investigators said.

“I’m standing here before you to announce the death of an 11-month-old child. Nothing good about that,” Lt. Ryan Macherone said.

Halo Branton, who was just shy of 11-months-old, was found in the area of the General Electric campus in Schenectady, police said. She was taken to Ellis Hospital and pronounced dead. She would have turned a year old on April 14.

Lt. Macherone, with Schenectady police, was near tears announcing Branton’s death during a press briefing.

“It’s probably the worst thing I’ll have to do.”

Branton’s family mourning her loss.

“She didn’t even get to celebrate her first birthday. Do you know how sad that is?” Nyree said, a cousin of Branton’s father.

Branton was abducted at 12th Street and Campbell Avenue around 9:15 Saturday evening, investigators said. They had worried she was in imminent danger.

It’s still unclear how Halo ended up on the General Electric property, if she was still alive when police first found her, and what her cause of death is.

No one is in custody at this time, but police are interviewing many people, they said.

Lt. Macherone said a call came in late Saturday night, around 11, to report Branton was missing. Police cast a wide net to find her; searching a nearby park, residential neighborhoods and the outskirts of the GE property.

“Tips and any information we originally received kind of centered our search around that area. There were a great deal of resources being deployed in that area. Aviation and multiple drones were in the air, multiple K-9 units were helping throughout the night as well searching the area.”

Nyree said she was concerned about instability and upheaval with a family member. She said some of the family was temporarily living in the area where Branton was reported missing.

“She deserves justice.”

For now, Nyree said she will try to hold onto the good memories.

“She was beautiful. She was charming. She was very intelligent. She looked just like her father. She has a brother.”