Takaylah Tribitt UNFORGOTTEN
CASE RESOLVED - IN MEMORIAM
“GARY JANE DOE”
At 8:20 a.m. on Monday, September 16th, 2019, the body of a deceased female was found by utilty workers in an alley in Gary, Indiana. The young girl was found with a gunshot wound and her death officially ruled a homicide.
Although social media was a buzz with many people claiming to know, or be a relative of the young girl, Law Enforcement held her real identity from the public allegedly at the request of her family. For months the young girl was known to the public as “Gary Jane Doe.”
As if her death and the manner in which she was left alone in a dark alley wasn’t tragic enough, Law Enforcement didn’t issue a missing persons BOLO for her until nine days after her body had been discovered in a Gary, Indiana alley. Prior to the discovery of her body on September 16th, it is alleged that the young girl was living in a shelter and the shelter reported her missing on September 1st, 2019.
If it were true that the shelter reported her missing on September 1st, 2019, why would Law Enforcement wait three weeks after she was alleged to be reported missing to issue a BOLO? The young 14 year-old girl was not a ward of the state, so why was she in a shelter?
On December 1st, 2019, almost three months after the young girl was found murdered, her identity was confirmed as 14 year-old Takaylah Tribitt from Chicago, Illinois. Officials state their areas of investigation were being conducted in both Illinois and Indiana. Additionally, they believed Takaylah may have had connections to a man in Gary, although no one has been named a suspect. Law Enforcement officials stated they planned to to provide more updates to the public later that week, but as of this date of entry no updates from officals have been found.
Initial reports were conflicting and created a lof of confusion in this case thus leaving a lot of questions unanswered. What we do know is a young child from Chicago, Illinois was found murdered almost an hour away in Gary, Indiana.
Below is a general timeline of details that were retrieved from several different sources - many in which were conflicting.
Saturday, September 16, 2019 Gary Jane Doe found by NIPSCO workers in an alley near East 20th Avenue and Pennsylvania Street at 8:20am
Initial media reports stated victim found was found tied to a utility pole
Other reports stated the workers said she was found next to a utility pole
One report stated she had been badly beaten (reported as utility worker statements)
One report stated she had been dead approximately two days ( which would have placed her missing since approximately September 14th, 2019, if not longer)
NCMEC could not confirm she had ever been reported missing because she was not yet identified.
Saturday, September 21st, 2019
Lake County Coroner releases facial reconstruction sketch of what the young may have looked like:
African American, Female
14 to 18 years old
5 ft 2
117 pounds
Short black hair and pierced ears
Blue and white Nike windbreaker, size XS
Blue Champion brand pants with grey stripes, size large
Red bra, size 32 B and blue and black Nike Air Max Plus gym shoes, size 7
In addition to a composite sketch, a photo was shown of a T-shirt she was wearing
Weekend of September 21/ September 22, 2019:
Facebook post made by an individual stating Gary Jane Doe was her younger sister. Claim denied by the mother.
Gary Jane Doe potential family visits coroner and brings dental records of potential match of victim. Records inconclusive because dental records were from childhood (age of 9)
Monday September 23rd, it is alleged that the bio mother of Gary Jane Doe submits her DNA to coroner for potential match. Lake County Coroner to submit DNA to lab on September 25, 2019.
Tuesday, September 24th, 2019, The Lake County coroner's office released the girl's cause and manner of death, one day after meeting with a possible family; stating Gary Jane Doe died from a gunshot wound. At this time, there are no reports confirmed by any authorities of an alleged beating and or being tied to a pole had happened as reported by Chicago Networks. Coroner later denies the young girl was found tied TO a utility pole but never commented on whether the young girl was ever beaten.
Wednesday, September 25th, 2019, two days after family submits DNA to the Lake County Coronor, and nine days after the girl’s body was found, a BOLO is sent out stating Chicago Police are looking for Takayla Tribitt, age 14 last seen in the 1100 block of North Noble Street. The report states she was last seen on September 1, 2019 - a timeline friends and family dispute.
Rumors continue to circulate on social media about the living situation of Takaylah Tribitt stating she lived in a shelter for teens due to past alleged abuse, and frequently stayed with various friends off and on, and that she has a toddler child. This has not been confirmed.
Thursday, September 26th, 2019, Friends of Takaylah Tribitt hold a vigil and balloon release, as they believe Gary Jane Doe is indeed, Takaylah Tribitt. No official reports of confirmed identity have yet been released.
Media report states she was last seen on September 10th, 2019 in the 1100 block of North Noble Street around 10pm. It also states the Aunt had custody of the girl but would often stay with friends.
Social media circualted screenshots of conversations between Takaylah and an older African American male. It has never been confirmed who the male was in the facebook profile.
Some rumors circulated on social media stating that the photo was actually a relative of the man Takaylah was chatting with. This has never been confirmed by authorities.
The screenshot of partial conversations between Takaylah and this male individual showed the conversation took place on or around September 12th, 2019. Takaylah was conversing with the man and asking him to pick her up and had mentioned getting pizza.
The unknown man’s social media account was quickly deactivated and there is still no confirmation that this male is responsibile for her death.
Not long after the man’s facebook profile was deactivated, someone close to Takaylah had also deleted Takaylah Tribitt’s facebook page.
Sunday, December 1st, 2019, three months after the shelter states they reported a young girl missing and two and half months after Gary Jane Doe was left murdered in the alley, local officials confirm the identity of Gary Jane Doe to be 14 year old Takaylah Tribitt of Chicago, Illinois.
No one can explain how 14 year-old Takaylah Tribitt ended up almost an hour away from the place she was alleged to be last seen to being found deceased in an alley. Why isn’t Law Enforcement asking for the public’s assistance to track down this cold-blooded person who would murder a child and leave her dead in an alley? Why is there no reward set up for tips leading to her killer’s arrest?
Why is there NO public outrage over a child being found murdered in an alley?
Aside from the unanswered questions about her death, we want to know - Who was Takaylah Tribitt?
What was her story? What were her passions?
What were her dreams and aspirations for her future?
Lastly, what can we all learn from her life - and her death? What can we do to better protect our young children from predators who are so heartless and so quick to put out the flame on a life that was just getting started?
This story will continue to be updated.
For now, Takaylah, we remember you - today and always. Wherever you are, just know we haven’t forgotten you.
LINKS
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/12/01/missing-teen-girl-dead-in-gary-alley-takaylah-tribitt/?fbclid=IwAR2wOQFM-e3ld38ooGNDRTWE29mfFlGHe9IOKM0NX3K6y3W-LhSX4Q8l_54
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/teen-found-dead-in-gary-alley-was-reported-missing-by/article_50ae1147-b37f-501b-935d-d8c23071737e.html
End of Takaylah Tribitt’s Entry - updates will be added below this line
In November of 2020, approximately two months after Takaylah was found deceased in a Gary, Indiana alleyway, 35 year old Deonlashawn Cammron Simmons was taken into custody in the 6900 block of South Michigan Avenue in Gary, Indiana. He is facing one count of Murder in the death of 14 year old Takaylah Tribitt.
According to news sources
CROWN POINT — A 14-year-old Chicago girl was sexually assaulted before she was found shot to death and dumped in a Gary alley in fall 2019, her hands bound behind her back with a cord and another cord wrapped around her neck.
DNA from one of the cords linked Deonlashawn Simmons, 35, of Chicago, to the homicide of Takaylah Tribitt, 14, Lake Criminal Court records state.
Simmons was arrested last week in Chicago by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force and extradited to Lake County to face a single count of murder. His case was unsealed Monday.
A Lake Criminal Court magistrate entered a not guilty plea on his behalf during an initial appearance Monday morning, online court records show. A public defender was appointed to represent him.
Besides DNA, investigators found social media messages linking Simmons to Tribitt in the days leading up to her homicide.
A witness told police Tribitt was last seen Sept. 12, 2019, in Chicago. Tribitt sent a text to the witness about 9 a.m. Sept. 13, 2019. Tribitt had been talking on Facebook with a man "Deon LaShawn," court records state.
Tribitt, who was reported missing by a Chicago shelter, was found face down with a gunshot wound to her head Sept. 16, 2019, in an alley near East 20th Avenue and Pennsylvania Street in Gary.
Investigators determined she had been sexually assaulted, but none of her injuries was consistent with a struggle or strangulation, records state. She was shot once in the left side of the head.
Police found a credit card on the ground near Tribitt's body that bore the name of an individual who shared the surname Simmons, records state. Police later learned Simmons' family lived near where Tribitt's body was found.
Simmons' phone was known to be in the area of Cline Avenue and Interstate 80/94 — less than 3 miles from the crime scene — on Nov. 14, 2019, according to court documents.
During an interview with detectives in September 2020, Simmons admitted he knew Tribitt and would give her rides, buy her food, and pay for her to have her hair and nails done, records state.
He said he knew his relationship with her was "going to be a problem" because of her age, but he denied he had any sexual contact with her, records state.
He admitted he was with Tribitt on Sept. 13, 2019, but he claimed she got mad at him and left, records state. He allegedly told police he found out about her death "the same (expletive day)," apparently referring to Sept. 13, 2019, when "it hit the news."
Tribitt's death was not reported until Sept. 16, 2019, the day her body was found by a utility worker.
Simmons could not explain why Tribitt, whom he had been in contact with, was found dead near his relative's home, court documents state.
He said he had not been to Indiana since December 2017, and he denied his DNA would be found on Tribitt, records allege.
When confronted with evidence his phone had been pinged within miles of the crime scene Nov. 14, Simmons dropped his head, asked exactly where and said he didn't see how it could be possible, according to court documents.
He claimed he had taken a trip to Fort Wayne, records state.
Simmons was visibly sweating during the interview, despite being given a blanket because of unusually cold conditions in the interview room, records state.
Simmons then told police a different story, saying he was in Gary on Sept. 13, 2019, and paid a woman for sex at a truck stop, documents allege.
Police executed a search warrant for Simmons' DNA at that time. Charges were filed Nov. 9, about a week after DNA analysis linked him to the homicide, records show.
work cited
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/dna-links-man-to-homicide-of-teen-girl-found-bound-dumped-in-alley-records-state/article_703be18c-692a-5b46-bce6-4df118c94e2c.html#tracking-source=article-related-bottom
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-man-arrested-in-connection-with-14-year-old-girls-slaying