TX TX - Dannariah Finley, 4, Orange, 4 July 2002

On July 4, 2002, 4 y/o Dannariah Finley was kidnapped from her bedroom that she was sharing with her two sisters and three cousins.

Her mother stated the kids went to bed around 1:30 AM. She checked on them around 3 or 4 AM before she fell asleep on the couch. She states she woke up at 10 AM and Dannariah was not in the house.

Dannariah was not reported missing until 1:07 PM because her mother stated she thought she might be with a relative or friend.

Four days later on July 8, 2002, a government pipeline inspector found the remains of Dannariah on Pleasure Island in Pt. Arthur, TX, approximately 27 miles from her home in Orange. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

It has been almost 10 years since this poor baby died and no one has been named as a POI, much less charged with this horrific crime. Her case didn't receive much media attention at the time, as other missing/murdered children did, and people speculate it was because she is black.

Please take a look at the case if you have time. Maybe some fresh eyes can give the police the information they need to put this monster in prison forever.

http://orangeleader.com/local/x681356218/Five-years-later-Finley-murder-remains-unsolved

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/721111/posts

There are a few facts in the case:

Her mother, Jaime Arnold, was being investigated by CPS at the time of Dannariah's disappearance. She was being investigated for "neglectful supervision." This case was dismissed in December 2004.

She did admit prior drug use, though claimed she was not a drug user at the time of kidnapping.

She also admitted to leaving the door unlocked late at night because her mother would sometimes come by unannounced.

The window in Dannariah's room near her bed was broken and did have cardboard covering it, but the cardboard had not been moved, so the police do not believe that is how the kidnapper gained entry.

The police believe Dannariah may have awakened prior to anyone else in the home and went outside and that is where she was taken.

Dannariah's father, Johnny Edwards, last saw her the first week of June and was scheduled to see her later the day she was abducted. He was living in Starks, LA, at the time and was cleared of any involvement.

A RSO who lived 2 houses down from Dannariah was questioned several times and his home and pick-up truck were also searched.

There were no dental records for Dannariah. Her body was ID'ed using DNA from a paternity test.

The police state they do have fiber samples to compare as evidence.

Her body was also wrapped in a floral-patterned, pink and yellow, sheet. The sheet was for a double-bed, made by Springmaid, and was a pattern discontinued by the manufacturer several years prior to the murder.

Police have compared hair follicles and DNA on area sex offenders to their evidence in the case with no matches.

Did Danniah's mom have a boyfriend(s) that was looked at by LE? That floral sheet says it came from a house where a woman lived, even though the crime was committed by a man. I don't think it was someone passing through, otherwise they wouldn't have bothered using a sheet or anything else to cover her with. I would think that LE would look for RSO in a 50 mile radius, since the child was found 20+ miles from her home.

Stella said:

Did Danniah's mom have a boyfriend(s) that was looked at by LE? That floral sheet says it came from a house where a woman lived, even though the crime was committed by a man. I don't think it was someone passing through, otherwise they wouldn't have bothered using a sheet or anything else to cover her with. I would think that LE would look for RSO in a 50 mile radius, since the child was found 20+ miles from her home.

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There was never any mention of a boyfriend, though from seeing the way she is now, I get the feeling that there may have been several men in and out of the house at times.

The RSO two houses down from her did live with his fiance, but they searched his house and truck several times and questioned him like crazy.

I think they did a pretty good job with the RSO. Many of them willingly gave hair follicle samples and willingly answered questions.

The part of Pleasure Island where her body was found is frequented by workers, many of them current or former drug users, and many possibly illegal immigrants. However, there was at one time a fireworks display for July 4th on Pleasure Island, so many people from PA/Bridge City/Groves/Pt. Neches/Nederland/Orange/Beaumont may have been there on that day.

http://therecordlive.com/2010/07/01/eight-years-still-no-arrests/

Police investigators said from the beginning that evidence would be crucial in the case and had gone to extensive efforts to gather and safeguard their case. They wanted justice for the little girl and wanted a killer off the streets. The efforts of their investigation were much and they believed their case was a good one that would soon result in an indictment.

The suspect would soon be named and indicted by an Orange County Grand Jury. That was their hope. Police told media at the time that they believed an indictment could come within weeks as they turned their carefully prepared case over to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for review and possible further action.

But now, six years after the crime, the case of Dannarriah Finley officially remains “unsolved.”

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Very good in depth information in the search of Dannariah Finley's murderer.

http://therecordlive.com/2014/07/01/still-no-arrest-12-years-later/

Investigators take the case from the shelves of boxes about every six months in hopes to take another look and perhaps see something different. They remain hopeful a new tip will come in to solve the case which is always on everyone’s mind. Until the case is developed and a suspect is identified, the case will not move forward and see the inside of a courtroom, Kimbrough said. “Initial evidence was pretty thorough, “ Kimbrough said.

The evidence collected was taken to the FBI laboratory to be examined. It may be the latest technology in forensic analysis which may be the key to solving the case.

“As time goes on, forensic science has improved,” he added. “From experience, we have learned technology has moved forward and this case will be solved forensically in a laboratory. A case is only as good as the initial investigation.”

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http://fox4beaumont.com/news/local/the-unsolved-murder-of-dannarriah-finley

Nearly 14 years after a little girl's horrific death, the Orange Police Department says it remains determined to find her killer.

Orange Police say the person of interest in Finley's horrific murder remains the same person it was in 2002.

Investigators say they just need someone to come forward with key information.

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"New DNA results could help Orange police finally catch a 4-year-old girl's killer.

Next week marks 17 years since Dannarriah Finley was raped and murdered.

According to the Orange Police Department, better technology should help detectives narrow the list of possible suspects...

The Orange Police Department will be conducting new interviews in the next couple months. "This is the most intense review of the case since it happened in 2002 and we are hopeful for new results," Enmon said."
New DNA results in Dannarriah Finley case could help solve the cold case

Thursday marks another anniversary – the 17th – of the disappearance of 4-year-old Dannarriah Finley from her Orange home.

Her tiny body was found four days later on Pleasure Island.

The unsolved murder is hardly a “cold case,” though.

“It’s an active, working case,” OPD Capt. Robert Enmon said. “We have an officer assigned to it.”

Every few months network news tells of old cases being solved by new DNA techniques. That’s the kind of news local officials would welcome instead of the annual check-up calls from local media.

“From time to time, as new technology comes up, we submit evidence. We’ve got several things at the lab right now,” Enmon said.

“The results we’ve gotten back in the last two and a half years had narrowed our group of ‘persons of interest.’ But it hasn’t given us our suspect yet.”

Hunt for girl’s killer hits 17 years - TheRecordLive

nutkin said:

There was never any mention of a boyfriend, though from seeing the way she is now, I get the feeling that there may have been several men in and out of the house at times.

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I was wondering myself if there was maybe a stepdad? Mom's last name was Arnold and Dad's was Edwards; so where did Finley come from?

Mark Blanton was the assistant police chief in Port Arthur in 2002 when a pipeline worker found the body of a young girl on Pleasure Island.

The spot was remote, and wildlife officers had found the remains of the little girl, later to be identified as 4-year-old Dannarriah Finley. The child had been reported missing from her home in Orange on July 4, 2002.

Blanton said there wasn’t much DNA evidence left at the scene, and a nearby alligator was euthanized.

I did not want to retire without that case being solved. I still think it’s a solvable case,” said Blanton, who later went to lead the department as chief.

The Orange Police Department took charge in the case, with PAPD detectives going to Orange on a regular basis to assist.

In 2016 Blanton retired after 40 years in law enforcement. And to this day, he remains haunted by the cold case.

Detectives located a pink, white and yellow flower print sheet they believe was probably used to transfer the body from where she was killed to Pleasure Island.

Finley was positively identified by DNA and, according to news reports, every sex offender in Orange at the time was questioned.

Officials originally did not comment on the condition of Finley’s clothes, or if any were even located.

Former Orange Police Chief Sam Kittrell said at the time that hundreds of pieces of evidence were collected by investigators from different sites. FBI Behavioral Sciences Division and the Bureau’s laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, were assisting with the case.

Finley’s mother told police in Orange that the child was missing and family members checked at relatives’ houses. A massive search ensued with hundreds of volunteers, law enforcement officers, helicopters and tracing dogs over a two-day period.

The 4-year-old girl was raped and murdered just weeks shy of her fifth birthday.

Police and Finley's family believe she was snatched from her bedroom in the middle of the night. Twenty years later, the case remains unsolved.

Monday marks 20 years of mourning and searching for answers for Finley's family. Every 4th of July, this is the sad story the people of Orange are reminded of.

The community has not giving up on Finley's case, and the opportunity for evidence to be tested again has given police new hope.

Jul. 22, 2022
''Finley was reported missing July 4, 2002 to the Orange Police Department. She was last seen alive sleeping in a bedroom at her mother’s house along with her siblings and cousins.''

''Three days later, her mostly nude and partially decomposed body was found approximately 27 miles away, near a dredge pipeline ditch off State Highway 82 in Port Arthur, an area known as Pleasure Island.''

''To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities by calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477). All tips are anonymous.

Individuals can also submit information through the Texas Rangers’ Cold Case website or by phone to the Missing Person Hotline at 1-800-346-3243.''