Little Miss Nobody
| Little Miss Nobody | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952 - 1955 (approximate) |
| Status | Unidentified for 64 years, 3 months and 22 days |
| c. July 17–24, 1960 (aged 4-8)c. July 17–24, 1960 (aged 4-8) | |
| Cause of death | Undetermined, presumed as homicide[1][2] |
| Body discovered | July 31, 1960 Congress, Arizona |
| 🏳️ Nationality | American |
| 🏳️ Citizenship | United States |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Known for | Unidentified decedent |
Little Miss Nobody was the name given posthumously to an unknown American female child and murder victim found in Congress, Yavapai County, Arizona on July 31, 1960.[3][4]
Discovery and investigation[edit]
Little Miss Nobody's partially buried body was found in Sand Wash Creek Bed on Old Alamo Road in Congress, Arizona on July 31, 1960.[5][6] A local family searching for rocks reported finding the remains.[7][3] The forensic pathologist performing the autopsy reported the remains were of a Caucasian female between the ages of 5 and 7, approximately three feet six inches to four feet five inches in height, and weighed fifty to sixty pounds at the time of death. Later reports stated that the victim may have been as old as 8 and as young as 4 at the time she died.[8][2] X-rays taken during the pathological exam did not show any previous bone breaks or fractures.[3][5] Investigators at the scene also observed that the individual or individuals responsible for the burial had possibly made several attempts to dig different graves for the body, as disturbances in the sand near the body suggested.[7]
It was determined she had been dead for one to two weeks and had a full set of baby teeth. The report went on to say that because the girl's body was in an advanced state of decomposition, a positive visual identification was not possible.[3][4] Records kept at the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, however, state the child's face was in a "recognizable" state.[5] The victim's toes and fingernails had reportedly been painted a bright red color and her brown hair dyed auburn or reddish brown. The body was clothed in white shorts and a checkered blouse, along with a pair of sandals that were cut to fit her feet, fastened with leather straps.[8][7][5] Investigators found a pocket knife near the body.[3][5] Blood was observed on the item, which was admittedly suspicious, yet it could not be positively matched to be the murder weapon.[7] The victim's exact cause of death was never successfully determined by medical examiners.[2][8] However, it is believed the child had been murdered, given the circumstances present at the crime scene.[1]
Yavapai County sheriff's deputies along with the media and private citizens worked to learn her identity. Then-Sheriff Cramer and other law enforcement personnel traveled hundreds of miles by air and by land following leads. Suspects in other crimes involving small children were questioned. The sheriff's office received dozens of letters, telephone calls and telegrams asking information on the child. On August 8, 1961, the Sheriff led a party of law enforcement officers and a camera crew to film the location where the child was found.[1] Later in the afternoon, the Sheriff along with Yavapai County Attorney George Ireland brought out evidence found that included adult sized rubber "flip-flops" cut down to fit the child's feet.[3] The film was shown on local television in the hope that someone recognized what Cramer referred to as "fragmentary mementos of [the] crime" to provide a clues that would lead to solving the case. Cramer stated, "Somewhere there is someone who has the answer that we have been looking for; maybe this will be the thing that will bring that person forward".[4] The footage of the scene was later broadcast on television in 1961 in hopes to generate leads to finding the identity of the child.[1] When local efforts failed to uncover the child's identity, the FBI eventually entered the investigation but were also unsuccessful with closing the case.[8]
Burial[edit]
A campaign for funds to provide an appropriate burial for the child was spearheaded by radio announcer Dave Palladin of Prescott radio station KYCA.[8] Palladin, who referred to the unknown child as "Little Miss Nobody", said he "couldn't stand to see the little girl buried in a 'Boot Hill'", also known as a pauper's grave. As a result of his efforts, the child's circumstances were embraced by locals who paid for and attended her funeral.[2] A placard on her child-size casket bore the inscription "God's little child, date of birth unknown, date of death unknown".[4][2]
A local florist, the caretakers from the cemetery, and a local mortuary provided services associated with the burial. The funeral was held on August 10, 1960 with Dr. Charles Franklin Parker of Prescott's Congregational Church conducting the rites. During the eulogy, Dr. Parker told the attendees, "Somewhere, someone is watching to learn what happened to a little girl left on the desert. If there has been a misdeed, probably a disquieted conscience will go on and on." The funeral was attended by over 70 mourners.[4][2][6]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Lawmen Hope Screen Audience Identifies Clues". Prescott Evening Courier (Print)
|format=requires|url=(help). 10 August 1961.|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "'Little Miss Nobody' Buried by Community". Rome News-Tribune (Print)
|format=requires|url=(help). 11 August 1960.|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Case File: 1202UFAZ". doenetwork.org. The Doe Network. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Shake, Ken (November 4, 1960). "Clue To Little 'Miss Nobody Still' Sought". Prescott Evening Courier.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "NamUs UP # 10741". identifyus.org. National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. 2 November 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Unidentified Girl Buried". The Free-Lance Star (Print)
|format=requires|url=(help). 11 August 1960.|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Unidentified Body Found in Desert". Prescott Evening Courier (Print)
|format=requires|url=(help). 1 August 1960.|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 ""Little Miss Nobody" Buried as Somebody". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal (Print)
|format=requires|url=(help). 2 March 1961.|access-date=requires|url=(help)
External links[edit]
- Little Miss Nobody at NamUs
- Little Miss Nobody at The Doe Network
- Little Miss Nobody at Find a GraveLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 23: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
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