Identified! MS - Pascagoula, WhtFem Child 45UFMS "Delta Dawn", 1-3, Dog River @I-10, Dec'82 - Alisha Heinrich

[Gardener1850]

UPDATE: A serial killer by the name of Samuel Little was in the Pascagoula area in late 1982. He might be the killer of the mom and daughter.

Some recent articles on him:
https://www.villages-news.com/seria...g-20-year-old-woman-in-1982-in-marion-county/
Serial killer connected to dozens of murders confesses Marion County cold case
He claims he's America's deadliest serial killer with 90 victims. Police believe him.

 

[Paul B.]

Would a serial killer toss a baby into a river where it could be easily spotted?

 

[carbuff]

Would a serial killer toss a baby into a river where it could be easily spotted?

Possibly, if the woman he was targeting had a baby. He might have just thrown the infant aside either before or after murdering the mother.

 

[Gardener1850]

Here's the thread for Samuel Little for anyone wanting to look into him more: CA - CA + more - SAMUEL LITTLE aka Samuel McDowell, 1970's thru final arrest 2012
His target victims were mostly prostitutes. I'm not seeing suggestions from LE that he is connected to Delta Dawn's murder but if he is, it is possible that she and her mother could be reported as missing together. Or her family may not have reported her missing at all because of her lifestyle. Her family could have assumed at the time that the child was with her mother. I'm doubtful that Delta Dawn was the daughter of a known victim of SL who was found deceased because that would have caused the family to ask about DD's whereabouts. JMO.

 

[Paul B.]

Anyone else want to give thoughts on Gardener's theory?

 

[Claireishere]

Would a serial killer toss a baby into a river where it could be easily spotted?

I thought it was known the woman jumped in with her?

 

[Gardener1850]

I thought it was known the woman jumped in with her?

Here is what it says on her Doe Network page:

The child's body was located in the Dog River beneath the westbound lane of I-10 in Pascagoula. She was apparently thrown off the Interstate 10 bridge. Her body was found when a truck driver reported a body of an adult wearing a blue plaid shirt and blue jeans floating in the river. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office believes the body is the mother of the child found floating in the river. Detectives said the theory is based on the fact that a woman, who was obviously distressed and carrying a child, was seen walking on Interstate-10 on the previous Friday night. This is further confirmed by a Moss Point woman who was monitoring CB conversations that night. She said "truckers were 'raising-a-boat-load-of-Hell' between midnight Friday and 1 AM. Saturday because a woman and child were walking on the interstate and refused to let anyone help her."

Authorities said a woman wearing a blue plaid shirt and blue jeans and carrying a child was seen near the scales at the Alabama line walking west on the interstate. She was reported walking in the westbound lane. A man who saw the woman said a pickup truck stopped but she refused to get into the truck.

Authorities speculate the woman may have thrown the child into the water and then jumped. The baby still had a breath of life because she had sucked in some of the murky water into her lungs.

The body of the woman was never recovered nor has she been identified.

The unidentified toddler is buried in Jackson County Memorial Park. Deputy Moore and his wife stepped forward and made sure the little girl was given a proper funeral and burial in 1982. 200 people attended the young girl's funeral.
45UFMS

 

[Paul B.]

@Gardener1850 @Suglo @carbuff For all we know about white victims and the media, the relatively small interest in Delta Dawn by the media and their lack of desire to find out who she is, despite her being both white and blonde, speaks volumes...

 

[Paul B.]

Bumping for DD. 36 years and still Known Only to God...

 

[carbuff]

@Gardener1850 @Suglo @carbuff For all we know about white victims and the media, the relatively small interest in Delta Dawn by the media and their lack of desire to find out who she is, despite her being both white and blonde, speaks volumes...

Sadly, there are tens of thousands of unidentified in the US alone; there isn't enough time in a day for them to all get nationwide publicity.

 

[sloane7777]

Ok so with that I doubt Samuel had much to do with it it sounds like a murder suicide period.

 

[Paul B.]

If i'd named DD she'd have been Ruth Ann. I just like the name.

 

[Paul B.]

How could someone just toss a baby girl off a bridge? :'(

 

[YaYa_521]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

​

Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP12191
Female, White / Caucasian
Date Found. December 5, 1982
Location Found. Escatawpa, Mississippi
Estimated Age Range 1 Years
Height. 2' 6"(30 inches) , Estimated
Weight. 20 lbs, Estimated
Hair/Eyes Unknown


Circumstances of Recovery
Body found floating in Dog River near I-10 Bridge, Escatawpa, MS, Jackson County

Condition of Remains Recognizable face

4 images; 0 exclusions

 

[Claireishere]

Who was the guy that was connected to the Bear Brook murders? I know I have asked before but looking to be refreshed on why DNA testing hasn’t been done?

 

[Triss]

Who was the guy that was connected to the Bear Brook murders?

Terry Rasmussen.

Her body was found when a truck driver reported a body of an adult wearing a blue plaid shirt and blue jeans floating in the river. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office believes the body is the mother of the child found floating in the river.

The body of the woman was never recovered nor has she been identified.

Why wasn't the woman's body recovered if a truck driver reported it floating in the river? Or am I reading this wrong?

 

[Gardener1850]

Terry Rasmussen.


Why wasn't the woman's body recovered if a truck driver reported it floating in the river? Or am I reading this wrong?

IDK, It sounds like they could not find the woman's body when they searched. They found the child instead.

I can't find the Dog River on a map but if the woman jumped into the Pascagoula River from I-10 it looks like there is a possibility she could have floated into the Gulf of Mexico before being found. JMO.

Google Maps

 

[Lewie]

I don’t believe this has been discussed here, forgive me if it has. Is there a possibility that the mother was discovered later on, somewhere many jurisdictions away, LE identified her, notified NOK (who didn’t know about DD because of estrangement or whatever), closed the case, and here we are?

 

[Triss]

I don’t believe this has been discussed here, forgive me if it has. Is there a possibility that the mother was discovered later on, somewhere many jurisdictions away, LE identified her, notified NOK (who didn’t know about DD because of estrangement or whatever), closed the case, and here we are?

That's a good question. IIRC John and Jane Does are compared to each other in CODIS (or some other database, I'm not sure) nowadays, but I don't think that was the case in 1982. So my guess is that your scenario is possible.

 

[jbsb344]

The Dog River is also the Pascagoula River. It is just a local name people used to use to talk about that body of water.
It is entirely possible the woman’s body was in the water and they couldn’t find it. It is incredibly Dense marsh land with channels of water cutting through the marsh.
In the beginning of the year, another investigator and I met with the Jackson County Sheriffs Department to give them the options for DNA sequencing and genetic research. We gave them all the info for Identifiers and I got them in touch with Colleen Fitzpatrick.

DD does have full DNA in NAMUS and NCIC. DD is also buried. To have her DNA used by identifiers they would need an item to get the DNA from. DD is currently buried next to the other Infant Baby Jane Doe from 1988.

Due to the very intense Coroners campaign race in Jackson County, I have not been able to get clear information about if we have remains available to get DNA from still out of the ground or if we will have to exhume her again to get more remains to test. Primary election is Tuesday and a run off would be before the end of the month. So hopefully I could get clear information by September about the remains.