July 23, 2013: This photo shows a poster soliciting information regarding an unidentified body near the site where the body was found in New York. (AP)
Police have reportedly identified the mother of the victim of one of New York City's most notorious unsolved murders 22 years after the crime occurred.
The New York Times reported that police had identified the mother of "Baby Hope," a young girl between 3 and 5 years old whose remains were found doubled over, tied up, and wrapped in a plastic bag inside a cooler dumped in a wooded area of upper Manhattan on July 23, 1991. She had not been reported as missing by her family, appeared to be malnourished, and tests carried out by law enforcement showed that she had been sexually abused.
Police have not released the mother's name, citing the ongoing murder investigation. No one has ever been charged with a crime in connection with the young girl's death.
A law enforcement official told the Times they had identified the mother after receiving a tip from a woman who said she had spoken to a woman who mentioned a sister who was killed. Forensic tests confirmed the mother's identity. No other information about the mother was immediately available, though the New York Post reported that she was being questioned by police about her daughter's death.
Over the summer, the NYPD announced that they were stepping up their efforts to solve the case. Officers canvassed the Washington Heights and Inwood areas of Manhattan near where the cooler was found, putting up posters and handing out police sketches. A $12,000 reward for information leading to an arrest or conviction is being offered.
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