Cold Case Remains Unsolved, FBI Seeks Public's Help 40 Years Later
In a shocking and tragic turn of events, nearly four decades ago, investigators discovered the lifeless body of a newborn baby girl inside a dumpster at a pizzeria in South Jersey. The case has left many questions unanswered, as the killer remains unidentified and the victim's name remains a mystery.
The FBI's Philadelphia field office recently reignited their search for clues on social media, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the girl's tragic death. The baby, described as a full-term newborn with brown eyes and dark hair, was found inside a silver plastic trash bag wrapped in a distinctive beach towel featuring an "African Plains scene" – a cheetah sitting between two trees.
The disturbing discovery was made by a farmer who had been rummaging through dumpsters to feed his pigs. He stumbled upon the infant's body just hours after birth, with part of her umbilical cord still attached. The assistant state medical examiner later determined that the baby had been suffocated.
Investigators at the time found fibers in the infant's fists and partial smudged fingerprints on the towel and plastic bag, but crucial DNA evidence was not collected or analyzed due to its infancy at the time. Newspaper accounts from 1986 did not provide any details about recovered DNA from the scene.
The FBI is now urging anyone with information that can help identify Baby Jane Doe to come forward. They are asking people to submit a tip online or call the Philadelphia field office at (215) 418-4000.
As the case enters its 40th year, it remains one of the most infamous unsolved cold cases in American history. The FBI's renewed efforts to solve this heartbreaking mystery serve as a poignant reminder that justice can sometimes be delayed, but never truly forgotten.
In a shocking and tragic turn of events, nearly four decades ago, investigators discovered the lifeless body of a newborn baby girl inside a dumpster at a pizzeria in South Jersey. The case has left many questions unanswered, as the killer remains unidentified and the victim's name remains a mystery.
The FBI's Philadelphia field office recently reignited their search for clues on social media, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the girl's tragic death. The baby, described as a full-term newborn with brown eyes and dark hair, was found inside a silver plastic trash bag wrapped in a distinctive beach towel featuring an "African Plains scene" – a cheetah sitting between two trees.
The disturbing discovery was made by a farmer who had been rummaging through dumpsters to feed his pigs. He stumbled upon the infant's body just hours after birth, with part of her umbilical cord still attached. The assistant state medical examiner later determined that the baby had been suffocated.
Investigators at the time found fibers in the infant's fists and partial smudged fingerprints on the towel and plastic bag, but crucial DNA evidence was not collected or analyzed due to its infancy at the time. Newspaper accounts from 1986 did not provide any details about recovered DNA from the scene.
The FBI is now urging anyone with information that can help identify Baby Jane Doe to come forward. They are asking people to submit a tip online or call the Philadelphia field office at (215) 418-4000.
As the case enters its 40th year, it remains one of the most infamous unsolved cold cases in American history. The FBI's renewed efforts to solve this heartbreaking mystery serve as a poignant reminder that justice can sometimes be delayed, but never truly forgotten.
... I mean, I know it's an old case and all, but you'd think we'd have more luck finding the killer by now. The FBI's still asking for tips on social media - what's next? 
Asking for help on Twitter? Anyway, can't believe they didn't even get to analyze the DNA back in 86... would've been a game-changer I guess. Still, gotta feel bad for Baby Jane Doe and her family 
. Anyone got any ideas or tips? We might be able to solve this thing once and for all 
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke 
u guys think anyone would ever come forward with info after all these yrs? i hope someone does cuz that fam needs closure 
, which they didn't even bother to collect back in the day. And now they're just asking everyone for tips online like that's gonna magically fix everything? Come on! It should be an open-and-shut case by now. I mean, what's next? Asking people for clues on Reddit? 
... 40 years is way too long to have no answers 
. I feel so bad for her parents and the family who found her, it's just heartbreaking. The FBI is doing a great job by using social media to spread the word, maybe someone out there remembers something from back in '86? 
The FBI should really check old records and see if there are any potential matches Anyone with info, even from back in the day, should totally reach out and share their story 
It's crazy how much info was left behind at the scene, like those fibers and fingerprints... it's like the killer wanted to leave clues, but didn't think we'd be looking back 40 years later 
And can you imagine what would've happened if they'd collected that DNA back in '86? 
Fingers crossed someone comes forward with some info and we finally get answers 
, but I wish they coulda done more back then with that DNA evidence 
or submit a tip online 
.
Africa or Jersey? 
Who would've thought a cheetah in the dumpster with a newborn's remains 
... meanwhile, let's just say "Baby Jane Doe" has been on the internet for decades and still hasn't gotten her own Wikipedia page 
... can't help but feel kinda hopeless about it all
40 years is like, an eternity... 
.
... it's crazy to think what they might've been able to do if they'd had access to better tools back then 
. But I guess that's just the way the law works, right? 
, so I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for the investigators on this case 
. The real issue here is why didn't they collect DNA evidence back then? That's where the clues are, folks! Not in some vague online tip jar.
I've been following this case online since '06 and it's still stuck on my mind... that beach towel with the cheetah scene has been all over the web too. Anyone know if they've found any new DNA or anything?