Illinois’ Cook County coroner has provided a partial description for the dismembered toddler found in a Garfield Park lagoon over the holiday weekend.
Based on the medical examiner’s initial analysis of body parts retrieved from the natural pool, Dr. Stephen Cina believes the dead Baby Doe was of African American descent and no older than two or three years of age.
The victim’s gender and identification are still unknown, however, because police have so far only managed to recover a head, feet, and hands, and DNA results on that evidence is still pending.
Chicago detectives and divers converged en masse at the 184-acre public preserve this Labor Day weekend, after someone taking an afternoon stroll noticed a small foot floating in one of the shallow waterways and called 911.
Since then, the crime scene first cordoned off there on Saturday evening has been steadily widening.
Last night, while a police presence secured the area until Tuesday morning’s recovery efforts could resume, a spokesman said the lagoon and its tributaries would be completely drained now.
According to a Chicago city alderman, drainage to facilitate a more thorough search for the mutilated toddler’s missing torso and limbs will begin sometime today or tomorrow.
Officials have also indicated that, at this point, they’re not 100-percent positive yet if the extremities already retrieved from Garfield Park belong to just one victim.
Anyone with information that could help solve this troubling case is urged to contact Chicago authorities immediately, or call 911.
