Child's body found in pond

WHEELING, Ill. and HAMMOND, Ind. (WLS) -- The assemblage of a missing Wheeling toddler was pulled from a pond on Interstate 80 successful northwest Indiana Thursday afternoon.

Indiana State Police said the Lake County Coroner has positively identified the remains arsenic that of Jaclyn "Angel" Dobbs, who was reported missing aft her parent was recovered murdered earlier this week.

Construction workers called 911 aft they spotted a assemblage floating successful a retention pond disconnected I-80 adjacent Kennedy Avenue successful Hammond conscionable earlier 12 p.m.

Indiana State Police said investigators were capable to rapidly find the assemblage of a Black, pistillate child. They said the pond was comparatively afloat of h2o from caller rainfall - astir 4 oregon 5 feet heavy - and easy accessible from the adjacent roadway.

After identifying the body, the Lake County Coroner is expected to behaviour an autopsy Friday greeting to find however she died.

The hunt for Dobbs stretched from Illinois to Missouri, past Indiana. Dobbs was reported missing aft her parent was recovered dormant successful her Wheeling flat Tuesday night.

Police making a well-being cheque astatine an flat gathering successful the 300-block of Inland Drive Tuesday nighttime recovered a pistillate dormant and her 1-year-old girl missing.

Ja'nya Murphy, 21, was discovered unresponsive astir 10:20 pm. Tuesday aft officers climbed onto a balcony and entered her apartment, according to Deputy Police Chief Al Steffen.

Murphy appeared to person been murdered, and her daughter, whom they called "Angel," was not successful the home, Steffen said.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's bureau said Thursday that Murphy died arsenic a effect of strangulation. Her decease has been ruled a homicide.

Steffen said it appeared Murphy had been assaulted, and they are anxious to find her daughter. Angel is believed to beryllium successful danger, constabulary said.

"We request the public's assistance with this," Steffen said. "They mightiness beryllium capable to link the dots, link a nexus that we don't person close now."

Wheeling and Illinois State Police activated an endangered missing idiosyncratic advisory aboriginal Thursday greeting aft a car the miss was believed to beryllium successful turned up successful Missouri Wednesday without her successful it.

Authorities believed the kid was successful a rented 2020 Maroon Dodge Caravan with Illinois plates.

RELATED: Amber Alert Wisconsin: 3-year-old lad died of gunshot wound, ME says; assemblage recovered successful dumpster

Investigators besides identified a idiosyncratic of involvement connected to the Dodge Caravan, who had a erstwhile narration with Murphy and was seen with her connected video Monday.

That idiosyncratic was besides recovered successful Missouri, constabulary said.

"We cognize for a information helium was successful the acold bluish suburbs yesterday greeting and past by yesterday evening, helium was successful occidental Missouri," Steffen said. "We are looking to recreate the way from wherever helium was successful the northwest suburbs to Missouri."

Murphy was a 2018 postgraduate of Stevenson High School and lived with her girl astatine the flat building, Wheeling constabulary said.

Murphy's precocious schoolhouse champion person said helium was shocked erstwhile helium work astir what happened.

"It was caput blowing to maine to work the archetypal article; I didn't privation to judge it. I inactive can't judge it," Brentley Wright said. "There is nary way, determination is nary mode this is possible; determination is nary mode this is happening. It's brainsick to think, one, that it happens truthful close, and, two, idiosyncratic I was similar champion friends with successful precocious school."

The Major Case Assistance Team was called successful to assistance cod and process evidence.

Police went to the gathering aft Murphy had not been to enactment Tuesday and had not been seen by relatives since Monday, Steffen said. With assistance from the occurrence department, officers climbed onto Murphy's balcony, uncovering the doorway unlocked and discovering her assemblage inside.

Steffen said Murphy would driblet Angel disconnected astatine relatives' earlier work, but she didn't driblet disconnected the babe connected Tuesday, and she didn't amusement up astatine her retail job. Murphy's household past talked with her Monday.

Anyone with accusation should telephone Wheeling constabulary astatine (847) 459-2632 oregon 911.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.