Face of ‘Baby Bones’ revealed: Can you ID this girl?

[Valasca]

Face of ‘Baby Bones’ revealed: Can you ID this girl?
By Peter Mucha

Inquirer Staff Writer

The embargo is over, and the face can finally be revealed.

It's the face of a mystery girl, probably 5 to 8 years old, whose charred skeletal remains were found in a wooded area of Monmouth County, N.J., in 2005.

She probably disappeared at least a year before that.

If you think you recognize her, call the America's Most Wanted hotline at 1-800-274-6388 (1-800-CRIMETV), or the tipline of the N.J. State Police, 1-866-657-7411.

The bust was unveiled Tuesday as the cameras of America's Most Wanted rolled in the South Philadelphia home of renowned forensic sculptor Frank Bender.

But the show didn't want photographs released until today - the day before the case, dubbed "Baby Bones," airs at 9 p.m. on Fox.

Also featured tomorrow will be the South Philadelphia murder of Beau Zabel, an aspiring teacher murdered for his iPod last June 15. The show first told that story in July, but with the case still unsolved, host John Walsh himself came to town to retrace Zabel's steps and rebroadcast surveillance video of a possible suspect.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/br...his_girl_.html

[dmax]

[Valasca]

I don't know if anyone knows of Frank Bender but the man is AMAZING.
Back in the 70s a man named John List killed his mother, wife, and 3 children. 18 years later Bender took photos of List and List's parents and did a clay bust of what he thought List would look like. It was EXACT, down to the pair of glasses Bender had chosen to place on the bust.

[Whisper]

I don't know if anyone knows of Frank Bender but the man is AMAZING.
Back in the 70s a man named John List killed his mother, wife, and 3 children. 18 years later Bender took photos of List and List's parents and did a clay bust of what he thought List would look like. It was EXACT, down to the pair of glasses Bender had chosen to place on the bust.

I was coming saying what a amazing man this guy is!!You beat me to it!!This man is amazing with his creations I hope somepoe identifies this baby!!I think with him someone will know who she is!!How can these babies(I know I call them babies but to me they are)but how can they just disappear and nobody notices??But with transients and people moving around especially now wth the economy I guess.But this is 4-5 yrs ago.Someone has to have suspicions though,she wouldve been just beginning school maybe at that age.Its sad ,really sad.Beautiful little girl either way.

[Kaylara]

Can anyone tell me where in Monmouth County she was found? (I was still living in Monmouth County, NJ in 2005, and never heard about this girl.) I have a lot of contacts and friends still living there that I should be able to muster to try to help, but Monmouth County is rather large, and if she was found too far North in the county, the chances of me being able to help are reduced considerably. :(

Also, if she was found in the summer, this girl could be from anywhere. We get a massive influx of people from out of the area in Monmouth County during the summer months. Several millions of tourists.

Still, someone has got to be missing this girl.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Discovered in Upper Freehold Township, NJ.

Officials describe the surroundings as rural and agricultural, with open fields and large, fenced-in horse farms. Cops say the location is about three miles from a Six Flags Great Adventure Theme Park, located just off Interstate I-195.

Police theorize that someone may have been traveling along the interstate, looking for a desolate spot in which to discard the child's body.

Cops say that person left the body about 50 feet into the densely-wooded area.

But several indicators lead police to believe the person responsible was not very familiar with the area.

Investigators say if the suspect had gone a mere 50 feet further into the woods, he or she would have seen a swampy, marshy area -- a far better place to dump a body, because it would have been immersed in water, destroying any remaining evidence.

The body was found in 2005, but based on police estimates, the child's remains could have been at the site for a year or more.

More: http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=62113

[Kaylara]

Ok, I know that area really well. Shit. If they're going down I-195 they could be from just about anywhere. That highway meets up with literally every major artery that goes through central NJ. (And not too far from where the girl was found either.) And if she was brought into the area in the summer, she really could be from anywhere. :(

I'll see if I can come up with anything though. Someone had to have seen something. I mean, sure, fires aren't that uncommon, but being that close to the street, it probably would have been seen. (And yeah, any local would have just chucked her into the swamp. I don't even think they'd bother burying her.)


Keep your fingers crossed!

[Dakota Valkyrie]

It looks like nothing came of featuring her on AMW... still asking for info.

Authorities long to give "Baby Bones" a name

[...]
The facts, according to the State Police, are:

• The remains are of a female, estimated to be 5 to 8 years old at the time of her death.
• The estimated time of her death was 2001 to 2004.
• A black Nike Air Force 1 sneaker, child size 8 1/2, was found at the scene.
• Also found was canvas, possibly from some type of carry bag, with images of Warner Bros. cartoon characters Sylvester the cat and Tweety Bird.
• A zipper, believed to be from the canvas product, with the marking "333."
• The remains, sneaker and canvas were burned, while the ground in that area was charred, possibly to kill the girl or conceal evidence.

"She had a rib injury in the process of healing,'' said Detective Stephen Urbanski, who is investigating the case out of the State Police station in Hamilton.

Whether the injury was the result of abuse or accident is unknown.
[...]

Speculation from authorities includes:

• A parent or guardian killed her, because apparently no missing-person report was filed.
• The child was from an urban area, which would be more fast-paced and, therefore, it would be less likely to notice a family with a missing child.
• The girl's lack of tooth decay could suggest an urban or suburban area with fluoridated public water.
• She likely was malnourished, because of her small bone structure.
• The remains were found about 175 feet off Route 526, or about 25 feet into the woods, suggesting a quick discard of the body, so the person dumping it could leave the site quickly.

So, in recent weeks, the State Police has been bringing the case back to the public. Pushing, perhaps a last good push , to identify the girl, discover what happened to her … although no cause of death has been determined, murder is suspected … and arrest whoever dumped a child's body in the woods.
[...]

[Silvahalo]

Authorities long to give "Baby Bones" a name...

I'd be glad to name her though we all just really want to know who she is and put her name to the face. So very sad.

[Misskittychaos]

Poor kid tossed away like trash and burned...it makes me sick how little regard people have for human life.

I hope she gets the justice she deserves!

[akika666]

poor sweet baby, i do think this was done by a parent, since no one ever looked for her. unfortunately as good as Bender is, i don't think the bust will really help... it almost looks like a generic prototype of an African American child... like the mold for an American Girl doll or something. nothing distinguishing about it.

i hope whoever did this sees the child's face everytime he or she closes their eyes, and never has a moment's peace again.

[akika666]

sorry, double post... my internet is really bolloxed (bollocked?)

[Awhell]

Just makes me wonder if Asha Degree was ever ruled out...her Tweety Bird backpack sounds too familiar to ignore.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/d/degree_asha.html

Course it doesn't help that I am having trouble coming up with a set of vital stats on Baby Bones.

I know there are other viable possibilities, it just irritates me to see a child laying unclaimed for any amount of time, let alone as long as this child has.

[Valasca]

Thank you, Awhell. I will forward this on.
I swear I'm the only one in my group that looks for missing and unidentified AFRICAN AMERICANS. Everyone else looks for white children and white women.

[Awhell]

Thank you, Awhell. I will forward this on.
I swear I'm the only one in my group that looks for missing and unidentified AFRICAN AMERICANS. Everyone else looks for white children and white women.

I feel sorry for missing men, it's always assumed they left because they wanted to.
I read a couple of media reports that said they found Asha Degree's backpack after she went missing, but sometimes the media sucks.
Her color doesn't matter, she has someone somewhere, even if just a teacher or a grandparent that must miss her and know her. A dead child is bad enough, a nameless dead child makes my heart hurt.

[MadeaBecBec]

I always think that if the NCMEC, would do age progressions on these unidentified children, people/relatives, might recognize a parent or a living sibling in their features. Wonder why they don't do that with every unidentified child.....Couldn't hurt, could it?

[Kerry]

as I see it, goldfish just like any other fish, will forage for food endlessly. Give it 1-2 meals a day and you can fast them once a week. Thats what I do. The fish will survive your vacation most likely. How long will your vacation be?

[Rockin Ma]

[Rockin Ma]

I feel sorry for missing men, it's always assumed they left because they wanted to.
I read a couple of media reports that said they found Asha Degree's backpack after she went missing, but sometimes the media sucks.
Her color doesn't matter, she has someone somewhere, even if just a teacher or a grandparent that must miss her and know her. A dead child is bad enough, a nameless dead child makes my heart hurt.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/nc-girl-as...1591506&page=1
I think it's entirely possible.. but as to the backpack, I think it was found in the trash wrapped up in bags.

[Kaylara]

I've been looking at missing children hoping to see one that might look like Baby bones, and found a few that could be her, but it's difficult for me to tell whether the faces are similar enough to report. Could I post the ones I found and get some other opinions on this?

[malq]

I've been looking at missing children hoping to see one that might look like Baby bones, and found a few that could be her, but it's difficult for me to tell whether the faces are similar enough to report. Could I post the ones I found and get some other opinions on this?

Hi Kaylara,
Might want to ask a mod. I will report your post and they can decide. Seems like it would be ok, seeing they are missing, but they are child victims as well.

[Harley_Tech]

I've been looking at missing children hoping to see one that might look like Baby bones, and found a few that could be her, but it's difficult for me to tell whether the faces are similar enough to report. Could I post the ones I found and get some other opinions on this?

@Kaylara
Sure, put them up. If need be later we can pull them down.

R

[Kaylara]

Hi Kaylara,
Might want to ask a mod. I will report your post and they can decide. Seems like it would be ok, seeing they are missing, but they are child victims as well.

If it helps, they're all on the Missing children website, so they're already public. I'll get those up later. I'd be really happy if I was able to at least get some leads checked out.

[Kaylara]

OMG, I just spent an hour typing up my post, and the internet ate it. *cries* That's it... I am taking a nap. I've been looking up these little girls for hours and I just want to cry. I'll try posting it later.