DISCOVERY:
On the afternoon of September 17, 2016, a farmer near Madisonville, Madison County, Texas was mowing his pasture in the 7800 block of I-45’s southbound feeder road. His mower hit an object about 40′ from the interstate, near a fence, causing him to stop. It was then he discovered a black suitcase containing the skeletal remains of a little girl. She’d been wrapped in three white garbage bags.
The man called his son-in-law to confirm his discovery. When the pair agreed they were looking at human remains, they contacted the local authorities.
I-45 is a major artery traversing across Texas. The exact location where the remains were found is between the major cities of Houston and Texas.
AUTOPSY:
The remains were brought in for examination, where it was determined the deceased had likely died between three to five months prior to being found.
Due to the level of decomposition and the fact the body showed no signs of trauma, a cause of death could not be determined. However, given the circumstances, it’s been deemed a homicide.
DETAILS:
Due to the state of the remains, Jane Doe’s race could not be immediately determined. It was later found through forensic analysis that she was likely Caucasian or Hispanic, with Native American lineage. She was between the ages of two and six, and had thick, 16″-long hair that was dark brown or black in colour. Her eye colour, height and weight are unknown.
When found, the deceased was wearing a size 4T Mon Petit pink dress, with colourfully embroidered butterflies and the phrase “Follow Your Dreams”. She also had on a size 4 Parent’s Choice diaper, which is commonly sold at Wall-Mart. Additional items found with the body include a military-issue desert digital design camouflage shirt, a silver child’s bedspread, a small green blanket and a grey adult sweatshirt.
Jane Doe had many distinguishing physical features. Her skull was deformed and flattened on one side, and her skeletal frame was underdeveloped. The small size of her jaw indicates she suffered from a condition called micrognathia, also known as maxillary hypoplasia. This would have affected her ability to eat unassisted, and she would have required life-long medical care as a result. She also had a Mic-Key 14 FR 1.2cm feeding tube surgically implanted. It was inscribed with the serial number “AA4069F02”, and was distributed to children’s medical facilities across the southwestern United States.
Pollen analysis done by the Department of Homeland Security suggests the deceased was from the southwestern United States, including Texas, New Mexico, California or southeastern Arizona. She may have also lived in an adjacent region in Mexico.
Genealogy testing has suggested she has “strong ancestral ties” to El Salvador and Nuevo Leon in Mexico.
RULE OUTS:
1) Myrisha Faye Campbell, who went missing from Goliad, Texas on September 6, 1958.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
Those with information regarding the identity of Jane Doe are asked to contact the Madison County Sheriff’s Office at 936-348-2755 or the Dallas County Medical Examiner at 214-920-5900.
Image Credit: NCMEC
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