Seeking Leads, Authorities Release New Information In 'Baby Hope' Death
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Nearly two years after "Baby Hope" was found dead in a backpack in DuPage County, officials hope releasing images of the bag, and other items found inside it, will help lead to a break in the unsolved case.
On Aug. 15, 2016, landscapers working in unincorporated DuPage County near Wheaton found a black backpack lying in a private driveway off Plamondon Road.
On Tuesday, the DuPage County Sheriff's Office and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) released images of the backpack, as well as a brown bathmat and toilet seat cover found inside it.
"Pollen testing of the evidence suggest that the items spent a significant amount of time in an urban area of Northern Illinois and possibly originated in the Southwest United States before coming to Illinois," officials said in a statement.
Authorities have not determined how Baby Hope died, and have yet to identify her, but believe she was Hispanic.
Four months after Baby Hope was found dead, the DuPage County Sheriff's Office released images of what her parents might look like, based on genetic information. The images show what they might look like at ages 15 and 25. Based on DNA, authorities believe they are Hispanic.
Investigators still have Baby Hope's DNA and hope to one day be able to match it to one of the girl's parents, who remain unidentified.
Police also have said, based on a toxicology report on Baby Hope, her mother takes a prescription Lamotragine, which is "commonly used for the treatment of epilepsy, seizures, bipolar disorder and/or sleeping disorders."
Anyone with information about Baby Hope should call the NCMEC at 800-843-5678.