Imagine a young woman, possibly a teenager, brutally murdered along with her unborn child and no one comes forward to identify her. Not her parents, or siblings, or grandparents, no one. Investigators know little about her, but they've been her voice for the last 43 years.

"Beth Doe" was found along the banks of the Lehigh River in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, on December 20, 1976. She was dismembered and stuffed into three suitcases. Her nose, ears and breasts had been removed. Inside one of the suitcases was the full-term female fetus. 

We started researching this case at the beginning of 2019, and it's been quite the journey to bring it all together. We first reached out to Pennsylvania State Police and right away they said 'yes' to our interview request. We met Trooper Brian Noll, the lead investigator on the "Beth Doe" case, at the end of April. It's obvious how much he and the previous investigators want to solve this case. They've been chipping away at it for 43 years, applying traditional investigative techniques and advanced forensic technology, but it hasn't brought them closer to identifying the victim. Without her name, finding Beth Doe's killer, if that person is still alive, is like searching for a needle in a haystack. ​

Still, investigators have never stopped working on this case. They continue to look for ways to keep "Beth Doe" in the public eye. According to Trooper Noll, "Beth Doe" is the one case that still generates the most tips, even after all these years. Perhaps it's the nature of the crime and because there was a baby involved. What was done to them, that type of evil, is on a whole different level.

Below are some photos we took and others we obtained during the course of working on this story. They are of the actual suitcases and the blanket recovered at the scene. Trooper Noll pointed out the blanket and it's unique embroidered design. Notice the small patch of blue yarn in one of the pictures. It's almost as if the design started unraveling at one point and was stitched back together. It's a very specific blanket and someone should be able to recognize it. Same with the suitcases. If you follow this case, you've probably seen the picture of the three suitcases since it's readily available online. We wanted to see more, and Trooper Noll delivered. He shared additional pictures of the suitcases in hopes that someone recognizes them. 

For this story we started by contacting people in the small town of White Haven near where "Beth Doe" was found. We sent out dozens of emails, messages via social media, and made countless phone calls. It took months, but the more we went to White Haven, the more the community started to open up. Eventually we met Dolly Maughan and her son Brent. They've lived in White Haven their entire lives and still remember the case. Brent was good friends with Kenneth Jumper, the boy who found the suitcases, and was supposed to be with him that day. We reached out to the Jumper family but we did not hear back from them. One can only imagine how traumatic the experience must have been for Mr. Jumper. He was only 14 at the time.

We also met Philip Jeffries, a retired deputy coroner and funeral director in Weatherly, Pennsylvania. The Vietnam veteran assisted Pennsylvania State Police in the disinterment process for "Beth Doe" in 2007. Mr. Jeffries has seen his share of trauma, but the young mother's murder stayed with him all these years. 

Jeffries transported the mother and daughter's remains to a laboratory for a second autopsy on October 30, 2007. He then prepared their bodies for burial. He shared photos from his archives and details of the service for "Beth Doe" which you'll see in our report. ​​

This case is not uncommon. According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System or NAMUS, "Beth Doe" is one of more than 12,000 unidentified bodies in morgues or buried in public cemeteries across the United States.

According to Todd Matthews, communications director for NAMUS, the sheer volume of cases of missing and unidentified people has become the nation's silent mass disaster. ​Many cases like Beth Doe's are decades old, and they've been adding up over time. 

As we looked for information that wasn't already out there about this case, I stumbled upon several posts on different social media sites from a woman in Mesa, Arizona, who contacted Pennsylvania State Police because she believes "Beth Doe" could be her foster sister. Jane Foust says the sketch of "Beth Doe" jumped out at her the second she saw it. Immediately she thought about her foster sister Maggie, full name Madelyn Cruz, whom she met in 1972 at a boarding school called Rockwood Academy in Lenox, Massachusetts. They became friends and, not long after, Jane's parents took Maggie in as a foster child.

​Jane says the arrangement didn't last long. The two were rebellious teenagers who got in trouble often and at one point ran away to Tarrytown, New York, in the summer of 1973. After a few days and with nowhere to stay, Jane decided to return home, but says Maggie refused to go with her. That's the last time she saw her. It wasn't until June 1976 that Jane says she received a call from Maggie saying she was pregnant, scared and needed money. Jane didn't tell her parents and didn't have money to send to Maggie. That was the last time they spoke. Jane wishes she had done more when Maggie reached out to her.

Below are pictures of Maggie/Madelyn Cruz. One is from the Rockwood Academy yearbook, which the owner was kind enough to send to me for this story. Jane Foust shared the other photo with us. What do you think? Does Maggie Cruz resemble Beth Doe?

Could this be the needle in the haystack that investigators have long been searching for? Could this bring closure to this 43-year-old mystery and to the small community near where "Beth Doe" was found? If not, this raises yet another question: What happened to Maggie Cruz?

BALTIMORE - The Baltimore chapter of the Guardian Angels took to the streets for their 7th annual "Honk for the Missing" event to raise awareness about the growing number of missing persons in the United States and around the world.

The Angels were joined by members of the Cherry Hill community, Baltimore Police Department, family and friends of the missing women and volunteers from as far away as Kentucky. 

"Honk for the Missing" events also took place in cities across the country including San Antonio, Texas; Sacramento, California; Brooklyn, New York and in Japan and Australia.

Anyone with information on the disappearance of Joanna and Shariece Clark, please call the Baltimore City Police at 443-263-2220.

Above are pictures from "Honk for the Missing" events all over the country and as far away as Japan. Thank you to everyone who shared these photos. ​
​

By: Claudia Rivero
​
​​Eight months after his tiny, naked body washed ashore on a Galveston beach, investigators now know "Little Jacob's" real name, where he came from, and who dumped him in the water.

Wednesday morning Galveston Police identified "Little Jacob" — the nickname they gave him when he was found last fall — as 4-year-old Jayden Alexander Lopez from Houston.

They also announced the arrest of Jayden's mother, Rebecca Rivera, 34, and her girlfriend, Dania Sarai Amezquita Gomez, 31, both are charged with tampering or fabricating physical evidence. 

When I interviewed lead Detective Jeff Banks in May he made it clear that they were close to solving the case. He told me that releasing a crime scene photo of the child in January was a controversial decision but one that made all the difference in how the investigation played out.

Galveston Police say that tips from the public and DNA evidence led them to the child's mother. They're also convinced that both women went to Galveston to get rid of Jayden's body.

But, since it's still not known how Jayden died, Rivera and Gomez have not been charged with his death. However, additional charges are possible since the investigation is ongoing.

Below is the full news conference posted by Galveston City to its Youtube channel. 

By: Claudia Rivero
​
Galveston, Texas, is a popular destination known for its beaches, its famous Seawall Boulevard, and the amusement park at Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier. 

But, just over a mile away, on a quiet side of the island, is a growing memorial full of stuffed animals, toys, and a wooden cross with the words "You mattered, little guy," dedicated to a young boy whose death remains a mystery. 

The toddler, whom investigators call "Little Jacob," was found dead on Oct. 20, 2017, by a woman walking along the surf just east of Stewart Beach. Months later, they still don't know the boy's name, who he belongs to, or how he died. 

Galveston resident Wanda Grunwell has been following the case from day one.

"That little boy needs to be identified," she said. "He deserves a proper burial because he had value." 

Grunwell watched from her balcony as first responders pulled the toddler's body from the water.

"I felt bad for the officers and for the woman who found him, it just broke my heart," she said.

Investigators believe "Little Jacob" was in the water 12-48 hours. Autopsy results released in January show he was underweight and had injuries consistent with long-term abuse and neglect.

​Galveston Police Detective Jeff Banks is the lead investigator on the case.

It's taken investigators months to get to this point. They started with a sketch of the toddler done by renowned forensic artist Lois Gibson, the FBI offered assistance including a $10,000 reward, and Clear Channel Outdoor featured the case on electronic billboards from Texas to Kentucky. 

Galveston Police received hundreds of tips at the time, but none of them panned out.

"We got 500 names," Banks said.

​As the tips started slowing down, Galveston Police and the FBI looked for ways to keep the case in the public eye. In January they took the rare and gut-wrenching step of releasing an actual photo of the dead toddler as a last-ditch effort to identify him.

​"I didn't want to put that out there but there was no better way to show what he actually looks like," Detective Banks told me. "I assumed we’d have a little more push back but people were supportive of it.”

"The tips that are coming in are promising, and I'm optimistic that we're gonna be able to identify him," he said.

"We're gonna solve it, I'm confident, we're gonna solve it," he said.​

To the person or people that know what happened to "Little Jacob," Detective Banks says this: 
​
"Come forward, talk to me, let's get it figured out."

​Little Jacob was found unclothed. He's Hispanic, about 3 to 5 years old, and still has all of his baby teeth. 

If you know who "Little Jacob" is and how to contact his family, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI or 1-800-225-5324.

​The FBI is offering up to a $10,000 reward in this case. ​

May 25 is National Missing Children's Day. Please a take a moment to share the poster of a missing child from your area. It takes a few seconds to post to your social media and it can really  make a difference. You never know, you might help bring a missing child home. 

​By Claudia Rivero
​
Family and friends of Akia Eggleston gathered, on a rainy Saturday afternoon, outside the South Baltimore townhouse where the young mom used to live. 

Volunteers handed out yellow ribbons and pins with Akia's picture before lighting candles and saying a prayer for the 22-year-old who was eight months pregnant when she vanished on May 3, 2017. 

Ann Wilson, Akia's maternal grandmother, was among those who attended the vigil. It's been a difficult time for her family given that a year has passed with no answers as to what happened to her granddaughter. Even worse, her family has not been allowed to see Akia's three-year-old daughter since last July. Wilson says the little girl's father has not responded to the family's multiple attempts to reach him.

​​It's a lot for one family to endure. Wilson and her husband lost their daughter, Akia's mother, to cancer. Now, their granddaughter and great-grandson are missing and are believed to be the victims of foul play. Add to that the heartache of not being able to see Akia's daughter, Emery. 

"The family is keeping her away from us," Wilson said. "I wish I had the answer, I don't know why."

As for the father of Akia's unborn son, the family says he has never reached out to them, has not attended any vigils or made an effort to help search for Akia. 

"I've contacted him directly, and I've asked him to call me," Akia's stepfather Shawn Wilkinson said. "I've talked to his brother, and they just say they don't know where he's at. It just makes him look suspicious."

​As mentioned in our original story about Akia's disappearance, investigators questioned the father of her unborn baby, but he's not named a suspect in the case.

"They have their suspicions of people they are watching, you know? Ain't none of them ruled out. Nobody," said Wilson.

Frustrated at the lack of answers, the family is relying on friends, the community, and organization's such as the Black and Missing Foundation — a Washington D.C. based nonprofit that helps raise awareness for missing people of color — to keep Akia's story in the public eye. 

"We have an anonymous tip line, so if you go to www.bamfi.org, please tell us what happened, and we will not compromise your identity," co-founder Natalie Wilson said.

​For Akia's grandmother the not knowing is unbearable. She hopes the person or people responsible for Akia's disappearance find it in their heart to do the right thing.

​"Whoever have her or have done something to her, we need you to come forward because we need some answers and we need closure. Please let her go so she can come home no matter which way it is and no matter what happened. We need closure."

​If you have information concerning this case, please contact the FBI's Baltimore Field Office at 410 - 265-8080 or the Baltimore City Police at 410- 396- 2499. There's a $25,000 reward.

​By Claudia Rivero

Antonio Vela Jr. vanished June 15, 2017, after leaving a bar near his home in Victoria, Texas. Rumors surrounding the now 37-year-old music producer's disappearance have spread like wildfire. 

​Investigators remain tight-lipped about the case.

Desperate for answers, the Velas are asking anyone with information about Antonio's disappearance to contact the Victoria Police Department or Victoria Crime Stoppers at: 361-572-4200

Antonio's 1999 Pontiac Firebird was found abandoned 20 miles away in the town of Inez in Victoria County  on June 16, 2017. These are exclusive photos of the scene.

By Claudia Rivero

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also revealed a new age-progession image of what Janteyl might look like today at age 23. 

You can follow my coverage of the case here and on TheVanishedPodcast. 

Meanwhile, I'm following some interesting information and hope to have an update soon.

As millions of people enjoyed the Super Bowl, for the Clark family of Baltimore, Maryland, Feb. 4 marked the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of their loved ones, Joanna and Shariece Clark. 

A small group of family and friends held a candlelight vigil at the apartment complex on Round Road in South Baltimore where the young mom lived with her seven children. Joanna, 33, and Shariece, 15, vanished on the same day but at different times. Baltimore Police suspect foul play. 

I've covered this case extensively on this website. And although it was also recently featured on the CBS News website, Joanna and Shariece's case has not received any other national media attention. The Clarks believe more media coverage and a reward would help generate leads. 

Someone knows what happened to Joanna and Shariece Clark, and they need to speak up. Do it for her six younger children who are now in foster care and face an uncertain future.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Baltimore City Police via text at: 4439024824

​Janteyl Johnson, who was 15 and pregnant when she vanished on Feb. 3, 2010, would be 23 by now; her baby would be almost 8. What happened to them remains a mystery. There are still no named suspects and no arrests in connection with Janteyl's disappearance. It's as if this young girl fell off the face of the earth never to be seen or heard from again.

Both of these older men had connections to a 15-year-old pregnant girl who disappeared and has yet to be found. Although there have been many twists and turns in the last eight years — especially over the last nine months — the case remains unsolved. ​

​Anyone with information on the disappearance of Janteyl Johnson is urged to contact 
1-800-THE-LOST or NCCPD at 302-395-8171.