PA PA - Philadelphia, BlkFem 4-6, UP16611, Amputated Finger, Wht apron, in milk crate, May'62

Migmuu · May 19, 2017

UP#16611

I was going through the recent listings on NamUs when I came across this case. What stood out was the brutality of this child's murder and the odd similarity to another, more well-known UID case, although I doubt they are related.

Demographics
Age: 4 - 6 years
Race: Black/African American
Sex: Female
Height: 3'4
Weight: 38 lbs

Circumstances
May 3, 1962
Location: Schuylkill River near Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA
Found in a milk box floating in the Schuylkill River. She had been decapitated (head never recovered). Fourth finger on her right hand was amputated and covered with a bandage. She was covered with a white apron. Also inside the box was a copy of the Sunday paper.

Physical/Medical
N/A

Clothing/Accessories
White apron, Sunday paper

No identifiers are available.

Migmuu · May 19, 2017

I was able to dig up three articles about the murder. Here is the album: http://imgur.com/a/vlclP

Some important details:
The newspaper was dated March 11, 1962.
The articles cite the postmortem interval as being 5 days to 2 months.
The fourth finger on her right hand had been partially amputated and was wrapped in tape and dressing.
The apron looked to be the kind used in a machine shop or something similar. Besides the apron, she was also covered in a clear blue sheet of plastic.
There were severe burns to her feet and back, leading police to believe her killer tried to incinerate her body first. Ugh, that poor baby.

Dr.Strangelove · May 19, 2017

I wonder if she was injured in a machine shop? With her finger liks that and the apron

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Migmuu · May 20, 2017

I found three more articles: http://imgur.com/a/0kh0w

The police believed at the time that she could be 6 y/o Hattie Yvonne Jackson , who was abducted in Washington D.C. in July 1961, 10 months before this little girl was found. Hattie is still missing and is the only child I know of who matches the timing and physical description. I can't find any articles that say she was ruled out.

Hattie was on NamUs, but for some reason, her profile has been removed (even though there's no news of her being found). I have no idea if she has prints on file, although I doubt it due to her young age. It's possible that they simply weren't able to compare the two girls due to lack of identifiers.

reese.146 · May 20, 2017

The police believed at the time that she could be 6 y/o Hattie Yvonne Jackson , who was abducted in Washington D.C. in July 1961, 10 months before this little girl was found. Hattie is still missing and is the only child I know of who matches the timing and physical description. I can't find any articles that say she was ruled out.

Honestly, if it isn't official that Hattie was ruled out, I think it's a strong possibility. However, I do think we should keep an eye out to see if she's eventually ruled out.

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reese.146 · May 20, 2017

Migmuu said:
I found three more articles: http://imgur.com/a/0kh0w

The police believed at the time that she could be 6 y/o Hattie Yvonne Jackson , who was abducted in Washington D.C. in July 1961, 10 months before this little girl was found. Hattie is still missing and is the only child I know of who matches the timing and physical description. I can't find any articles that say she was ruled out.

Hattie was on NamUs, but for some reason, her profile has been removed (even though there's no news of her being found). I have no idea if she has prints on file, although I doubt it due to her young age. It's possible that they simply weren't able to compare the two girls due to lack of identifiers.

Holy jeez. Why didn't that quote. Anyways, the first half was quoted from Migmuu. 🙄

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macrauchenia · May 23, 2017

Poor baby. I doubt her family would have reported her missing, and I can't say that I fault them for it: being black people, in the United States, in the early 1960s, the police probably would not have listened anyway.

It's a horrible case, I am surprised I haven't read about it before.

I doubt that the girl is Hattie Jackson, because of the time gap of nearly a year (article says the body had been in the water "between five days and two months").

Odyssey · Jun 13, 2017

I think it's possible that it could be Hattie. The interval seems a bit short to match Hattie's disappearance but given Hattie's young age, it's possible that her abductor wasn't too concerned about being reported so he might not have killed her right away.

There was a suspect in Hattie's case, a Thomas Welton Holland. A link to that article is in Hattie's thread. I haven't done much research on him so I'm not sure if he had ties to Philadelphia but he was on the FBI 10 Most Wanted for a time before he was arrested in Kansas on June 2 1962. He had a history of crimes against children as well as burglary. So it is possible, if he were Hattie's abductor, that seeing his face in the papers might have prompted him to kill because he knew he was being hunted and didn't want to be caught with her.

Just a possibility but I wouldn't rule her out based on interval alone.

Migmuu · Jun 13, 2017

There are a couple other things besides the 10-month gap that make it unlikely to be Hattie. She would have been about two years outside of the age range and was four inches too short. Normally, those would only be small discrepancies in a UID case, but they're significant in a very young child.

An article published on May 20, 1962 also says Hattie was ruled out.

Goecke · Dec 3, 2017

Bumping. I found this girl's thread on NamUs and I can't stop thinking about her.

NamUs mentioned that she had fractures to her arms similar to abuse... Makes me think her family was behind it.

aThousandYearsWide · Dec 11, 2017

I hope cases like this where the children are a victim to possibly their family and likely not reported missing get their DNA put on Ancestral DNA sites where they can be matched to a relative and their family can find out what actually happened to their missing aunt/cousin or relative they were never told about.

glamourkitty1922 · Aug 7, 2018

Philadelphia just exhumed her body, as well as 6 other unidentified people today for DNA testing. We might find out who that poor baby is!
Investigators Exhume Graves Of 7 Homicide Victims To Uncover Clues In Decades-Old Murders

folieadeuxnola · Aug 9, 2018

Authorities, forensic experts exhume bodies in hopes of solving cold cases

McAndrew said the seven remains were chosen because they are younger victims, either children or teenagers.

Another set of remains could help solve a case concerning a black girl, who was between 4 and 6 years old. She was found dead in a box in the Schuylkill River and buried in the field in 1962, according to ABC affiliate WPVI.

Blue-Stiletto · May 5, 2019

I sincerely hope that the investigating unit in Philadelphia begins to release information regarding this little "girl in the box". I also hope to see as much attention given to finding out who she is as the "boy in the box - America's unknown child". She has been exhumed almost a year ago and shipped to Florida for forensic purposes. I would assume some information has been obtained. The fact that she was decapitated will make the work of the forensic team a lot more difficult. (head never found) I will try to contact the Vidocq Society to see if they intend to set up a web site etc. for this little girl's case. Unfortunately, the Vidocq Society can be difficult to contact and receive a response, however, I will try. If anyone else out there on web sleuths has a contact at the Vidocq Society, give it a try too. I will post any information received.

Fuuro · May 6, 2019

I think that the likelihood of this being a case of child abuse resulting in death or other parricide is extremely high and that she was not kidnapped.

If this theory is true, the only hope we have of this case being resolved is that there were other people around besides whoever killed her who have noticed her absence and who speak up about it five and a half decades later.

Migmuu · May 7, 2019

Fuuro said:
I think that the likelihood of this being a case of child abuse resulting in death or other parricide is extremely high and that she was not kidnapped.

If this theory is true, the only hope we have of this case being resolved is that there were other people around besides whoever killed her who have noticed her absence and who speak up about it five and a half decades later.

I agree. When a little kid goes missing and their disappearance goes unreported, it’s almost always the parents/caregivers who are responsible.

57 years later, there probably aren’t many people left who can come forward and say they recognize her. Her best bet is going to be familial DNA.

ninetimesfifteen · May 7, 2019

Is it possible her finger was sent to someone to torture them? Like a vindictive ex-husband killing the child to punish the mother. Or was it another attempt at removing identity that was soon abandoned?

With all these attempts to erase her identity (unsuccessful incineration, decapitation), this was deffinitely done by a relative. If it was a random kidnapping, child's identity wouldn't matter as much.

Melt71 · Jan 26, 2021

@othram exhumed for DNA 3 years ago yet apparently no results.... degraded DNA needing experts?

CCJD · Jan 26, 2021

Melt71 said:
@othram exhumed for DNA 3 years ago yet apparently no results.... degraded DNA needing experts?

Neither this little girl nor the Wister Woods girl were located during the exhumations. When they opened the graves where they should have been, they were empty. I got this from LE who was there.

Black female (Wister Woods girl), age 4-6, 11/25/1984
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

devertere · Jan 26, 2021

Migmuu said:
I agree. When a little kid goes missing and their disappearance goes unreported, it’s almost always the parents/caregivers who are responsible.

57 years later, there probably aren’t many people left who can come forward and say they recognize her. Her best bet is going to be familial DNA.

I wouldn't count on that, wouldn't be the first time cops would have refuswd to take a report. especially if the kid was black.

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