Body found in Indiana pond identified as 1-year-old Jaclyn "Angel" Dobbs
A body found in a retention pond in Northwest Indiana on Thursday has been identified as 1-year-old Jaclyn "Angel" Dobbs, who had been missing since her mother was found dead earlier this week, CBS Chicago reports.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield said fire crews were called to the scene by construction workers who were working nearby just before noon.
"They saw what they believed to be a body floating in the water and they did the appropriate thing and called 911 immediately and 911 dispatched the fire department, which is standard protocol for something like that," Fifield said, "and they went immediately into the water and recovered the body."
Divers recovered the body of a young child in the retention pond.
Fifield said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the child's death. He said the pond is four or five feet deep and walkable.
The body is now in the care of the Lake County, Indiana Coroner. An autopsy was scheduled for Friday.
Police in Wheeling, Illinois, had been searching for Jaclyn ever since her mother was found dead in their home Tuesday night. Wheeling police said officers received a missing person report for 21-year-old Ja'nya Murphy around 10:20 p.m. Tuesday, after she hadn't shown up to work or contacted her family since Monday.
When officers conducted a well-being check at Murphy's home, they found the door unlocked, and Murphy dead inside. Jaclyn was missing, police said.
Police said they believe Murphy was strangled, and that Jaclyn was taken away in a Dodge Grand Caravan, which was later located in western Missouri. Jaclyn was not with the vehicle and was believed to be in danger.
Police also said investigators identified a person of interest based on video evidence. That person has been located in Missouri and is being questioned.
Wheeling police said individual had a "previous relationship with Ms. Murphy" but is not Jaclyn's father.
Wheeling Police Deputy Chief Alan Steffens said the tip about the child's body in Northwest Indiana did not come from the person of interest, but rather a tip that someone called into Indiana State Police.
