Baby Jane Doe #61: Malnourished Body Discovered In L.A. Alley In 1985
Not even one-year-old, the tiny little girl's remains were discarded in Baldwin Hills.
On August 19, 1985, the decomposing body of a small child, approximately ten months old, was found in Los Angeles. The deceased toddler, later named Baby Jane Doe No. 61, was located in an alley just behind an apartment building in Baldwin Hills (4206 Santo Tomas).
She was nude and frighteningly thin, and later, an autopsy would reveal that she died from pneumonia brought on by severe malnutrition. The extreme case of neglect caused her death to be ruled as a homicide. However, while her appearance was shocking, someone did take the time to pierce her ears, an act of vanity.
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A Closer Look At The Child’s Injuries
There was no evidence that the child had been sexually assaulted, but investigators found that she’d been physically abused for some time. She was covered in scars and had multiple healed bones that were once broken.
According to authorities, her four teeth were abnormally large for her mouth. Detectives tried matching her descriptors to missing children, but none of their records matched. No one reported her missing. It was as if she simply didn’t exist.
Even after there was little media attention about Baby Jane Doe No. 61, no one called in to claim they may have known who she was. Her DNA was taken before her body was cremated. Until there is a family member to compare her DNA to, Baby Jane Doe #61 will remain another unsolved case.
Baby Jane Doe No. 61: What To Know
The little girl was 2 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 14 pounds. She had dark brown or black hair and brown eyes, and although decomposition made her face unrecognizable, a forensic artist has drawn a composite photo of what she may have looked like. That image is included at the top of this article.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-LAPD 24-7 (1-877-527-3247) or their local authorities. Her case number is 85-03-24266.
Please share the information regarding the homicide of 1985’s Baby Jane Doe No. 61 to reignite the investigation into her puzzling murder. She is our sister, and her life matters.
Case Number: 85-03-24266
Agency: Los Angeles Police Department
Phone: 1-877-LAPD 24-7 (1-877-527-3247)
Email:
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