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5 years later: Girl found dead in suitcase in Texas, may be from Arizona still unidentified

Posted at 2:10 PM, Oct 03, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-03 22:59:42-04

It's been five years since the remains of a girl were found inside a suitcase in Texas and officials believed she may be from southeast Arizona.

Despite the time passed, authorities are still making efforts to try to identify the girl, only known as "Madisonville Jane Doe."

Madisonville Jane Doe's remains were discovered on Sept. 17, 2016, off Interstate 45 in Madisonville, Texas.

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Blog Unidentified Jane Doe Suitcase Evidence

The Amber Alert Network Brazos Valley, in partnership with the Madison County Sheriff's Office is asking the public for their help to identify the young girl.

While she was found in Texas, a pollen analysis completed on her remains suggested she was from the southwest U.S. or the adjacent region in Mexico. It's even more likely she was from southeast Arizona, officials say.

The young girl was believed to be 2-6 years old and was found wearing a pink dress and a diaper, according to a blog posted on National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's website.

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Blog Jane Doe Unidentified Pink Shirt

The girl was also found with a feeding tube, officials say. Medical experts believe she likely had a condition called micrognathia, which would have affected her ability to eat on her own.

Authorities say the girl was probably dead three to five months before she was found.

Forensic experts believe she was Caucasian or Hispanic and had thick, dark hair. Genealogy research later revealed she also had Native American heritage.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Madison County Sheriff's Office at (936) 348-2755 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.