Authorities are scrambling to learn more about the remains of a toddler who washed ashore near Boston.
The Massachusetts state police believe it’s possible that a family member killed an unidentified girl that was found dead on June 25 on the shore in Boston Harbor.
The child, named “Baby Doe” because authorities still haven’t identified her, was found in a trash bag by a woman who was out walking her dog on Deer Island. Authorities believe the child was four years old and had brown hair and brown eyes, and a sketch artist recently created a composite image in the hopes of learning more about her from the public, according to a CBS News report.
There were no apparent signs of trauma in the child, and police are desperately trying to come up with clues that could lead to an identification, sharing the image with millions over Facebook.
So far, no corresponding missing persons reports have come up, which means the child probably was never reported missing. This alone raises the possibility that it was a family member or a caretaker that caused the disappearance and disposed of the body.
The little girl was found inside a trash bag wearing polkadot leggings and with a Zebra print blanket. A toxicology report is underway to determine if the child was drugged or poisoned, as there is no obvious sign of trauma. There is some amount of decomposition int he body, but not much, so it had probably been there for only a few days. The child’s body was likely placed on the shore or put in the water near where it washed up.
Suffolk County district attorney Dan Conley appealed to anyone who knew about the child, particularly the child’s parents, to come forward and contact authorities.