We'll begin with the unsolved cases, so the "submit tip" links are higher on the page.
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| image source: FBI.gov |
It has been 17 years since Alexandra 'Alex' Anaya vanished from her family's Hammond, Indiana residence. The young girl was only 13 years-old at the time of her disappearance. Just days after she vanished, Alex’s torso was found floating in Little Calumet River in Chicago. She had been dismembered, and the rest of her body has never been recovered.
No arrests have ever been made for Alex’s death. Her mother’s ex-boyfriend was tried in federal court shortly after Alex’s disappearance on charges of stalking the family, but he was eventually acquitted. He has never been named as a suspect in Alex’s case. However, investigators do believe that Alex knew her killer. The case remains unsolved.
My thoughts on this case...
If I've read between the lines correctly, it seems like investigators have a pretty good idea about who their suspect is. They just need that one extra tip or that one extra shred of evidence to finally make an arrest. This girl was only 13 years old when she suffered this brutal death. She deserves to rest in peace...and her loved ones deserve justice.
Case # 2:
On this day in 2010, DeNeka Walker vanished in Muskegon, Michigan. The then-30-year-old woman was last seen getting into a black Cadillac CTS driven by a man known only by the nickname ‘Brick’. She never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again.
It is not believed that DeNeka vanished on her own accord. She left behind four children, which is uncharacteristic. Those children were placed into foster care after DeNeka's disappearance. Police were eventually able to track down the man known as 'Brick'. They questioned him, but he was then released from police custody. It's unclear if he is a person of interest or not.
DeNeka's family reportedly heard rumors that prior to her disappearance, DeNeka was involved in the theft of a large amount of drugs and money. These rumors have not been confirmed, and it is unclear if the rumors have anything to do with her disappearance.
12 years have passed, and there is still no answer about what happened to DeNeka. Her case remains unsolved.
My thoughts on this case...
It's so sad that DeNeka's children were placed in foster care instead of with a relative. It's possible that foster care was their best option - but we all know the foster system can be very tough on children. I hope those children are doing okay now.
There haven't been that many updates on DeNeka's case. It seems like yet another unfortunate case that has fallen through the cracks. I hope I'm wrong, though. Let's not let DeNeka be forgotten!
Case # 3:
It's been sixteen years since Alycia Mesiti (14) was killed by her own father in Ceres, California.
Alycia and her brother were placed into Mark Mesiti's custody after their mother was deemed unfit by a Santa Clara County judge. However, Mark also did not have a clean-cut past, as he had a history of substance abuse and domestic violence. Still, the judge deemed that Mark was the more suitable parent for the two children, so they were sent to live with him in Ceres.
Alycia was reported missing on August 14th, 2006. That day, Mark’s girlfriend Shelly Walker took a flight from Los Angeles to Northern California to visit Mark. When Shelly asked Mark about Alycia's whereabouts, he told her that she ran away. Shelly subsequently reported Alycia missing. Initially, police truly believed Alycia had run away. Months later, Mark and Shelly moved to Los Angeles.
In March 2009, investigators brought cadaver dogs to Mark’s old home in Ceres. After getting a hit, a team dug up the backyard and ended up finding remains. Those remains were later identified as that of Alycia Mesiti. An autopsy concluded that she died of acute drug intoxication. At that point, it became clear that Mark Mesiti, at the very least, was responsible for disposing of his daughter's body.
Investigators subsequently obtained a warrant for Mark's new home in Los Angeles. There, it was discovered that Mark and Shelly were running a meth lab in the home where children were living. The two were subsequently arrested and booked on drug and child endangerment charges. Those charges were pursued first, and he was convicted of the drug and child endangerment charges in 2011. After that, Mark was sent back to Stanislaus County where he was charged with Alycia's murder.
Prosecutors believe that Mark provided his daughter with these drugs for a horrifying reason: to prevent her from resisting his sexual abuse. There was proof that Mark had been sexually abusing Alycia, as a numerous amount of pornographic images of Alycia and other minor children were found on his computer. Investigators also uncovered videos of Mark molesting his daughter while she was unconscious.
Mark pleaded guilty in October 2017. He was eventually sentenced to life in prison, where he remains today.
My thoughts on this case...
Everything about this case is awful. This young girl was being drugged and molested by her father, yet a judge somehow deemed him the more suitable parent? Obviously it was not *known* that he was an abuser when he obtained custody, but I'd like to know why exactly the mother was deemed unfit. Reports say she suffered from depression.. but with proper treatment, that could have been managed! There must be more to the story, but who knows if we will ever know the truth.
I am glad Alycia's murderer is exactly where he deserves to be: in prison for life.
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