Death of Prince's Baby Probed

Homicide detectives reportedly talk to former employees

The story first surfaced last November: the newborn child of the Artist Formerly Known as Prince and his wife Mayte Garcia-Nelson had died of a hereditary skull deformation. It was all based on surmise and two incomplete documents, one logging a birth, the other a death of an infant. Since then The Artist has evaded questions about the birth--or death--of his child and never shown the baby, publicly.

Now, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports, the investigation into the death of the Artist's baby (if indeed there was a death) has taken a more serious turn. Homicide detectives are on the case, although police and prosecutors are refusing to say if there's any suspicion of foul play. Up till now, county clerks had simply been trying to fulfill their duty to match every death certificate with a birth certificate.

The newspaper says that detectives have spoken to two former employees of the Artist's Paisley Park Enterprises, Erlene and Arlene Mojica. A person listed as "Nanny Mojica" was the source of the information for the death certificate filed in Minneapolis for "Boy Gregory," the deceased son of mother "Mia Gregory." No father was named.

The Mojicas, twin sisters, could be the link tying the death certificate to a birth certificate filed soon before. It lists Mayte's full name, a nameless male baby--and again no father.

Paisley Park fired the sisters on December 23 of last year, their attorney, Larry Altman, told the newspaper. He said he is investigating their employment by the Artist as well as "medical matters [concerning] Prince's family."