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Baby Madison case: New photo of unidentified girl found dead in suitcase along Texas highway

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Published  November 21, 2024 10:32am MST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 26 Houston

Baby Madison: Child found in suitcase update | FULL

The FBI and the Madison Co. Sheriff's Department gave an update on a 2016 cold case, involving a young girl found inside of a suitcase. Law enforcement is looking for the true identity of "Baby Madison" and released a new mockup photo.

The Brief

    • A new facial reconstruction image was released in the Baby Madison cold case.
    • The skeletal remains of the unidentified girl were found in a suitcase along I-45 near Madisonville, Texas in 2016.
    • The new image shows the girl without micrognathia, a medical condition she was previously believed to have.

MADISONVILLE, Texas - Eight years after a little girl’s remains were found inside a suitcase along a Texas highway, authorities are releasing a new facial reconstruction image in hopes of finally learning who she was and what happened to her.

On Sept. 17, 2016, the remains of the girl, believed to be 2 to 5 years old, were found in a black suitcase at the edge of a pasture along I-45, just north of Madisonville. She became known as "Baby Madison".

In 2019, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released a facial reconstruction of the girl. At the time, authorities believed she may have had micrognathia, a medical condition in which her lower jaw was smaller than normal. The image reflected that.

However, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office says new analysis of Baby Madison’s remains by forensic professionals revealed that she may not have had micrognathia. NCMEC has created a new image showing the girl without the condition.

A new facial reconstruction of Baby Madison (Photo released by FBI)

During a press conference Thursday, MCSO and the FBI released the new image and asked the public to take a close look to see if they recognize her.

Who was Baby Madison? What we know

Baby Madison’s skeletal remains were found wrapped in white garbage bags inside a black suitcase.

A size 4 diaper and a pink dress with butterflies, hearts and the words "Follow your Dreams" were also in the suitcase.

A pink dress was found in the suitcase with Baby Madison's remains. (Photo released by FBI)

Authorities say the girl had a feeding tube and would have been seen by medical professionals at some point.

According to NCMEC, the girl may have been dead for three to five months before she was found.

Genetic testing indicates she may have ties to El Salvador and Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

In 2019, NCMEC said that pollen analysis suggested that she was likely from the Southwest U.S., most likely Southeast Arizona, or an adjacent region of Mexico.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office and FBI Bryan ask anyone with information on Baby Madison’s identity or who left her body on the side of the road to call Madison County Sheriff’s Office at (936) 348-2755 ext. 322.

The Source: The information in this article is from the Madison County Sheriff's Office, the FBI, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.