San Diego Police Take To Social Media And Ask For Help Identifying Little Boy In Cold Case

The San Diego Police Department posted on Twitter a composite sketch of a little boy known only at this time as “Baby Doe.” Cold case investigators had reopened the case on the young child whose skeletal remains were found by hikers along a trail on West Bernardo drive on May 4, 2004. The post also showed the clothes that Baby Doe was wearing, along with other information they had on the child. The cold case investigators were using the social media platform to ask for the public’s help in solving the mystery of what happened to the boy.

Police wrote on the post that anyone with information about what happened to the child should call the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293. According to NBC San Diego, anyone with information could also leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers online or by calling (888) 580-8477. The Twitter post also said that a $1,000 reward was being offered for any information that led to an arrest.

When the bones of Baby Doe were found by two hikers, they had been at the site for a year or longer. The small child’s skeletal remains were found in a green tote that had leather straps, and he was also wearing red pants and three “child-sized shirts.” Investigators also said that there were other items in the green tote, including adult attire. The adult garments included a green jacket that had red and black paint stains on it and a sweatshirt that had the words “Kamikaze Racing Team” printed on it.

“We are hoping by showing photos of the clothing, someone will either recognize a family member that wore the clothing or can lead us to someone that maybe we can go talk to and help us identify Baby Doe,” Lori Adams, a member of the San Diego Police Detective’s cold case team, said.

The composite image of the boy was obtained by CT imaging the child’s skull, reports CBS8. Cold case investigators said that they believe Baby Doe is between the age of 2- and 4-years-old, and he is also believed to be white. They added that the young child most likely had “light to medium brown hair.”

Cold case detectives release sketch hoping to identify 'Baby Doe' found in San Diego – CBS 8 San Diego https://t.co/dtNneq8Dal pic.twitter.com/DXhwQke4Zd

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What’s more, that information is not the only thing the investigators have that will enable them to solve the mystery surrounding Baby Doe.

“Through many years and many cold case investigations we were ultimately able to come up with a partial DNA profile,” Adams said. She added that if the little boy can be identified, forensic teams will likely be able to pinpoint who his mother is and may even tell who his father is.

Forensic testing revealed that the mother of Baby Doe lived in the Southeast in an area somewhere between Louisiana and North Carolina when she was carrying him. Forensics also showed that at some point in time after the child’s birth she moved to an area in the Southwest.

CBS8 reported that DNA testing ruled out that Baby Doe is Jahi Turner, a 2-year-old boy that went missing in 2002.