Body Discovered In Indiana Pond Is Missing Wheeling Baby: Police

WHEELING, IL — Indiana State Police and the Lake County Indiana Coroner confirmed Thursday night that a body recovered from a retention pond in Hammond, Indiana, is that of missing Wheeling baby Jaclyn "Angel" Dobbs, 1.

An investigation into the cause of death is ongoing, with an autopsy scheduled for Friday morning, according to a news release.

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Meanwhile, a person of interest in the homicide of the baby's mother, Ja'nya Murphy, 21, and the kidnapping of Dobbs, was found in Missouri. Murphy was discovered dead Tuesday night in the Wheeling apartment she shared with Dobbs. The Cook County Medical Examiner said Murphy was strangled and died from asphyxiation as the result of a homicide.

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Police were dispatched to the area of Interstate 80 and the Kennedy Avenue ramp Thursday afternoon for a report of a body in a retention pond. The pond is located south of the ramp from I-80 eastbound to northbound Kennedy Avenue.

When Indiana state troopers arrived, they spoke to a construction worker who showed them what appeared to be a body in the pond, according to the news release. The Hammond Fire Department also arrived on the scene and immediately entered the water, removing the body from the pond. State police initially said the body was that of a Black female who appeared to be younger than 5 years old. She was later identified as Dobbs with the assistance of Wheeling police.

State police detectives are following up on leads in the investigation while working with the Major Crimes Assistance Team, which comprises multiple law enforcement agencies in Illinois, on this case.

PERSON OF INTEREST

Wheeling police said Thursday a person of interest has been identified in the case after acting upon information uncovered from video. The person had a previous relationship with Murphy and was seen with her on Monday, but is not Dobbs' father, according to police. Task force members learned the person had left Illinois.

Police said they believe Dobbs had been in a maroon 2020 Dodge Grand Caravan with Illinois license plates.

Late Wednesday, both the vehicle and person of interest were located in Missouri.

Illinois State Police released an Endangered Missing Persons Advisory Notification in regard to Dobbs on Wednesday night. That notification is designed for situations which do not fit the criteria for an AMBER alert but do involve a person who is missing and believed to be in danger, according to police.

"From the time of the initial discovery of the crime scene, investigators have executed multiple search warrants and are working around the clock to locate the missing toddler," Deputy Chief Al Steffen said. "Evidence has been recovered in several locations, including Missouri, and is in the process of evaluation. "

Murphy, a 2018 Stevenson High School graduate, was found dead Tuesday night at her Inland Drive home during a well-being check. Her daughter, Dobbs, who lived with Murphy, went missing in what police called a kidnapping. Police received a missing person report at around 10:22 p.m. Tuesday after Murphy's family became concerned when she didn't report to work and had not been in contact with family members since Monday, according to Wheeling police.

Anyone with information is asked to call Wheeling police at 847-459-2632.