R121-10 - PHOENIX ARIZONA - APRIL JANE DOE - UNIDENTIFIED APRIL 2017
R121 -10 “APRIL JANE DOE” is an unidentified, deceased female infant. The remains of this infant were found on April 18th, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona.
IDENTIFIERS
Female
9 to 10 months of age
Unknown Height and Weight
Unknown Hair and Eye Color
Unknown race/ethnicity
One or more limbs not recovered
One or both hands not recovered
Not recognizable, partial skeletal remains
CLOTHING/ACCESSORIES
Found with the infant’s remains:
Two red towels
A Curious George stuffed toy made by Kelly Toys with a manfucturer’s date of 12/2005 -12/2006
A child’s blanket made of felt.
The felt blanket had an image of Spongebob Squarepants.
CIRCUMSTANCES
On April 18th, 2017 at approximately 1:30 pm, the remains of “April Jane Doe” were found during the construction of a new sub-division in a West Phoenix neighborhood near North 87th Ave and West Indian School roads.
Investigators believe the remains had been there for “quite some time” and that were “tiny, like a preemie or infant.”
According to people who live near the area, the construction site where the remains were found, has been a dirt lot since the early 1990’s. It was also a soccer field at one time.
AGENCY CONTACTS
Phoenix Police Department
602-262-6151
Maricopa County Medical Examiner
(602) 506-3322
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ROTO NOTES
She doesn’t have a name but because she was found in the month of April, we at Room One Twenty One, call her, “April Jane Doe.”
Law Enforcement hasn’t made any mention of April Jane Doe’s case since she was found in 2017, but the Maricopa County OME lists this case as an active unidentified case.
The unearthing of human remains is unsettling, but in many cases (not all) there are some type of small clues. A tattoo or piercing or a scar, or even clothing can tell the story of a person whose remains are found. But to unearth the remains of an infant, seems unfathomable. And likely more difficult to identify. They don’t yet have a life story or a history that can leave a trail to follow. Their life was just beginning.
In many cases of unearthed remains, DNA can be extracted, and in April Jane Doe’s case, DNA has been collected and entered into CODIS.
But even with DNA, four years later, she still remains unidentified.
The medical examiner states the remains were those of a female infant approximately 9 to 10 months old. However, her NAMUS entry lists her as “neonatal skeletal remains” and estimates her age group as a “fetus.”
It is possible that the OME is calculating the 9-10 month old range as 9 months of pregnancy and one month following birth. The OME further states that approximately 12 years had elapsed between the time she died and the time she was found. It is unknown if this range was based solely on the autopsy of the remains, or if the manufacturer date of the toy she was buried with also became a factor in the approximation of death. This PMI would place her death in, or after 2005.
Based on the details in this case, it appears someone made great efforts in concealing the death of April Jane Doe. While the act is unfathomable, from a psychological standpoint, someone took great care to bury her with a baby blanket and a toy. This act of “assuring” she had her favorite things can provide clues to investigators. This would seem, to us, anyway, that the there was a bond or relationship between April Jane Doe and whomever buried her in a field, behind a church, in the middle of a neighborhood.
What is April Jane Doe’s story? Who is her mother? Where is her mother? What events led up to the burial of a small baby in a public place, in such a secretive manner? Was it a mother attempting to hide a pregnancy or birth out of fear, or was this child the victim of a homicide?
This is where the public can help. Although, we do not know if April Jane Doe’s family lived close to the area she was found, one could assume that given the proximity to multiple neighborhoods, this could be likely.
If you lived in this area or know of a female who may have had a young infant in April 2017, that was suddenly never seen again, or a pregnant mother that suddenly had no child under suspicous circumstances, could she be April Jane Doe?
If anything about this case raises your suspicions surrounding a missing infant, you can contact Phoenix Police directly, or click the button below which will take you directly to the Maricopa OME where you can leave anonymous information.
While we do not know the circumstances surrounding the burial of April Jane Doe, it is possible this was a mother who, for some reason, felt she had no other options but to bury her infant in a field. We cannot stress enough that there are other options if a mother is in a situation where she cannot care or provide for her child. If you are pregnant, you can surrender your unharmed infant anonymously to a designated safe haven. If you are in crisis or unsure of who to contact, you can call the National Safe Haven Alliance 24/7 at 1--888-510-BABY or you can TEXT to 313131.
For more information on National Safe Haven Alliance, you can click the button below and it will take you directly to their website.
MEDIA/SOURCES
End of April Jane Doe’s entry. Any updates will be added below this line. Comment section left open to the public for comments or words to honor the deceased. Please refrain from negative comments.