NJ NJ - Christina Hanania, 4, Union City/North Bergen, 2 December 1982 *abducted and murdered/no arrests”

[Mysteries1974]

MURDER​

CASE #: 1982-7​

Christina Hanania​

Also Known As:

Christine

---

Status: Open
Date of Offense: Thursday, Dec 02, 1982
Jurisdiction: North Bergen Police Department (NJ)
Offense Location: Union City, New Jersey

Summary: A few weeks before Christmas 1982, four year old Christina Hanania was abducted from the front yard of her home in Union City, New Jersey. A large search for the missing girl was conducted and sadly ended five hours later when her body was discovered in a vacant parking lot. She had been stabbed to death before her assailant ran her over with their vehicle. The murder has never been solved.

Vital Statistics
Sex: Female
Race: Multiracial
Age at Offense: 4 Years

Circumstances of Offense: Christina was last seen in the front yard of her home located at 2301 Summit Avenue in Union City, New Jersey at 12:30 pm on December 2nd 1982. She had been playing with friends who went to school and left her alone in the yard. She never made it inside. Her mother thought she was at a friend’s house but became concerned at 3:00 pm and filed a missing persons report. A few hours after the report was filed, a man walking his dog discovered Christina’s battered body in the parking lot of a vacant Ford dealership located at 2935 Kennedy Boulevard in North Bergen, New Jersey. She had been stabbed multiple times, her throat slashed, and she had been run over by a vehicle. It was determined she had died due to blood loss. Her killer has never been found and her murder remains unsolved.

Additional Details: Despite investigations by both North Bergen Police and Union City Police, no conclusive suspects have ever been identified or arrested in the case. There was no apparent motive for the crime. Forensic analysis of the girl’s body showed no evidence of sexual assault or molestation. The girl’s mother, Nadia, told reporters she believed her daughter’s death could be linked to her testimony at a court hearing for a child abuse case earlier that year. She said she thought it was possible someone sought revenge against her and decided to kill her daughter in retaliation. Nadia also feared whoever killed her daughter would try to harm her two other children. The suspect from the abuse case was questioned by police and was ruled out as a suspect. Investigators do not believe Christina was killed in the parking lot where she was found. They noted that there was a lack of blood at the crime scene despite the girl’s brutal injuries. Detectives believe she was possibly killed elsewhere before her killer dumped her body in the lot. When last seen, Christina was carrying a small tote bag with her when she was abducted. It has never been found. The bag was described as being bright red with yellow trim and had an “Animal Crackers” box design on one side. It measured 11 by 11 inches and was said to be slightly bigger than a lunch box. Investigators think the bag might’ve been left wherever she was killed or potentially kept by whoever killed her. Sadly, Christina’s murder remains unsolved.

 

[Mysteries1974]

Daily News 12/06/1982

Daily News 12/06/1982

 

[Mysteries1974]

The Jersey Journal 12/07/1982

 

[mlhenn]

MURDER - Christina Hanania | Solve the Case

A few weeks before Christmas 1982, four year old Christina Hanania was abducted from the front yard of her home in Union City, New Jersey. A large search for the missing girl was conducted and sadly ended five hours later when her body was discovered in a vacant parking lot. She had been stabbed...

www.solvethecase.org

 

[V_248]

!! Speculation and opinion only!!
I've been trying to search the parents' names for extra information and the supposed child abuse case, but haven't found much. I wonder though, why did her mother feel that it was revenge? Was it by pure intuition or could they've been stalked and the mother knew?
Some things to note about:
1. Could the killer be a resident of the area? The body was left in an open space, yet no one saw it. Perhaps they knew the usual busy hours in that area.
2. The thing that puzzled me was that there was a lack of blood in the parking lot. Where did the killer take her? The girl was found in 5 hours (8 PM?), which is quick in my book.
3. No SA but stabbed multiple times and ran over by a vehicle. I don't know, why but this gives off an eerie vibe. It could've been the killer's moral code, but I think this meant that the killer took her life with some attachment/vendetta. Or, they're insane.
4. Planned or unplanned? It isn't a rare case that someone would just kill another without any reason. However, for this case, I think it is somewhat thought through.
5. Leaving the girl's body in the parking lot. Was this supposed to be a message? Why didn't they hide her body instead? I could be overthinking this part.
6. Missing tote bag. Did the killer forget it in their vehicle? Did they take it as a trophy? It is said the tote bag was green-red but the other article said it's red-yellow.

IMO, this case might be related to serial killers around that time (Biegenwald and Koedatich, although no evidence)

 

[Kell1]

Any more details about the child abuse hearing she was a witness to ?

 

[Richard]

This particularly heinous murder of a child was probably done by someone who had committed similar attacks previously.