I learned about this a while back. I had hoped they would have gotten more results by now. Without the body they still can't really hazard a guess as to the means of death.
From what I have read forensic science indicates this child was from the southeast. We know the child came from Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee or Florida.
Science also indicates the child found was malnourished and visually impaired. They further indicate the girl in the VBS photos looks malnourished and appears to have some visual impairment. They further assume that because she was at the program she was from an impoverished family ( I can assume that means drug and alcohol abuse and sporadic to no employment).
It is fair to assume that she was visually disabled? If so, I am sure the parent(s) or guardian(s) were using her to get some form of disability payment or aid, especially if they were indigent.
Question:
Wouldn't the authorities/caseworkers (I know they are useless humps, but some may actually do their jobs) require some form of annual doctor reports or case filings, or welfare checks? That type of visual disability would require a doctors examination at some point (initial diagnosis and potential follow-ups) and a record exists of children in that age group with such disability in some government file, especially where disability and medicaid is involved. It is not logical that the parent or guardian of such a child would forego government financial assistance. So, again this child has a case file out there in the system. The investigators have to find it.
I believe investigators have drawn to the conclusion that the child in the church photos is the child in question and even is she's not, wouldn't we all like to know if that child in the photo is somewhere in distress and needs help? I know I would. So, it appears they are geared their case toward finding or identifying the child in the photo.
Investigators feel she may have been kept from the public, so few people may have even known about her existence, but even still somebody had to have seen her or the adults who collected her from the VBS program. I know these churches operate the programs using government block grants and funding. The more participants the more money, so it pays to furnish names of participants, even if the church failed to keep such records and turned no child away, it is difficult to believe this child has no name and was just dropped off because they have pictures on multiple days.
There's at least two pictures, which indicates she was their on multiple days. Somebody from the church recognized the police description and remembered something. it's too bad they didn't take interest back then and try to help the child. I mean it doesn't take a social worker to tell or show you a child in distress and those photos show that to me.
I submit that the church and the police should focus on identifying the kids who were at the program. Even if the little girl was quiet and introverted, I sure she gave a name to at least one child. Some child who was at this church program has that first name (that's half the mystery solved) . I'm in my fifty-one and I can still remember my first day at head start, so I know they remember. We need to teach our kids the difference between snitching and helping. They might not talk to the police, but they might talk to the ministers.
I'm sure the parents/guardian are likely felons in some state judging by the description of the child's bruising and nourishment deficiencies. They may have been on the run at that time, but again they were running from some place in the southeast. Since they know have her DNA profile, it needs to be checked against convicted felons in these states and they may get a hit.
I know I might be rambling, but I am horrified at what our children go through (not just American children or just black children or white children or red children or yellow or brown children), but all children in this country and around the world.
I can't understand how a person could abuse a child (a helpless person).
I look at my own nieces ages 4 to 17 and I actually find myself praying for their continued safety. I am not particularly religious, especially in light of this tragedy. Even more so because this is not an isolated case, it happens every minute of everyday somewhere around this world. If there is a God, he's not supposed to let this happen. And when society fails to protect the children, society is doomed.
I will continue to follow this story and hope if not pray that this child in the picture gets helped and the soul of the child they found gets peace. I hate to say this, but I hope they are the same person because it would mean only one child and not two in need and distress and the investigators would at least have solved part of the mystery.
Thank you for this forum
