Little Madisonville Jane
What We KnowEstimated to be between 2-6 years old
Unknown height and weight, though it appeared that she was small for her age Likely had micrognathia, which would have affected her ability to eat on her own (hence the feeding tube) Had long black or brown hair, past her shoulders Lower jaw disproportionately small, causing a receded chin and inability to close her mouth. Skull was deformed and flattened on one side, which would have caused her head and face to be asymmetrical, and the left side of her face would be more prominent Pollen analysis suggests that she was from the Southwest U.S. (Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, California, or areas of Mexico adjacent to those states) |
On September 19, 2016, a Madisonville man was mowing his pasture when he came across a large black suitcase. Unsure what to make of it, he unzipped and opened it, only to find a garbage bag inside. Curious still, he peeked inside the garbage bag and discovered the remains of a young girl, though her sex wasn't known at the time due to the advanced state of decomposition. She was wearing a Parent's Choice brand disposable diaper, a size 4T dress (pictured to the left), a pair of small white socks, and had a 1.2 cm feeding tube (Mic-Key 14FR). Authorities were baffled by the discovery, and heartbroken knowing that such a young child was not only deceased, but tossed out like roadside litter.
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My Two Cents
I haven't spent much time looking into this case, honestly. I've read some of the articles and found myself reading tons of Reddit threads and Websleuths comments, but the amount of time that I've spent searching has been minimal thus far. Not because I care less about her than I do other Janes, but my focus has been on a much larger project lately. I was drawn to this case because it's so close to home (only about 2 hours from me), and the fact that it's been 3 years since she was found and there still hasn't been an indentification is heartbreaking. I may not be able to put all of my searching time into her case, but I hope that getting her information, composite, and details of discovery out there might help.
There have been several different theories about what led to her death and subsequent disposal of her remains, but none of them really make enough sense to commit to. She had a feeding tube that is more complex than the one that might first come to mind; running through the nose, down the esophagus and into the stomach. The mic-key tube is part of a gastrostomy feeding system that includes a "button" which is surgically placed into the stomach through the abdominal wall. Unfortunately, the tubes only have a lot number, with the serial number being on the packaging/box, which does not help in this case. With all of that in mind, it's apparent that she was in need of specialized medical care and an attentive guardian who was willing and able to provide her with all that her condition(s) required.
The real question is...was she in the care of a parent or other relative, or a foster parent? Either way, the way her remains were left is inexcusable and a truly horrendous act for anyone to carry out. I wonder about her guardian for the possible reasoning behind her death and abandonment. If it were her parent, I believe it could go one of two ways: the stress and "burden" of having a medically complex child became too much, and she was killed intentionally or her parents struggled to give her the care that she needed but she passed away in spite of their efforts and, afraid of what may happen to them (legally speaking) if it was discovered that she died in their care, they panicked and made the awful decision to dump her along the highway. Again, I'm not condoning any of this. Just the two places my brain train goes when considering her dying in the care of her parents. If she was in a foster home, it's possible that her guardian either caused and/or failed to report her death, disposed of her remains, and continued to receive funds allotted for her care (this has been suggested by many people).
So where do we go from here? Trying to find a child who was probably never reported missing, could have been from Mexico, or may have become "lost" in the system and her absence overlooked is a task that is more than challenging. Unless someone comes forward with some pretty compelling information soon, this case may be one of those that goes cold for decades. I hope and I pray that this sweet little Jane is reunited with her identity soon. Whoever is responsible for her death, for placing her tiny body into trash bags and a suitcase, for driving to that pasture and dragging the suitcase 75 feet off of the road, for leaving her there to be discovered by an unsuspecting property owner...I hope justice is served.
There have been several different theories about what led to her death and subsequent disposal of her remains, but none of them really make enough sense to commit to. She had a feeding tube that is more complex than the one that might first come to mind; running through the nose, down the esophagus and into the stomach. The mic-key tube is part of a gastrostomy feeding system that includes a "button" which is surgically placed into the stomach through the abdominal wall. Unfortunately, the tubes only have a lot number, with the serial number being on the packaging/box, which does not help in this case. With all of that in mind, it's apparent that she was in need of specialized medical care and an attentive guardian who was willing and able to provide her with all that her condition(s) required.
The real question is...was she in the care of a parent or other relative, or a foster parent? Either way, the way her remains were left is inexcusable and a truly horrendous act for anyone to carry out. I wonder about her guardian for the possible reasoning behind her death and abandonment. If it were her parent, I believe it could go one of two ways: the stress and "burden" of having a medically complex child became too much, and she was killed intentionally or her parents struggled to give her the care that she needed but she passed away in spite of their efforts and, afraid of what may happen to them (legally speaking) if it was discovered that she died in their care, they panicked and made the awful decision to dump her along the highway. Again, I'm not condoning any of this. Just the two places my brain train goes when considering her dying in the care of her parents. If she was in a foster home, it's possible that her guardian either caused and/or failed to report her death, disposed of her remains, and continued to receive funds allotted for her care (this has been suggested by many people).
So where do we go from here? Trying to find a child who was probably never reported missing, could have been from Mexico, or may have become "lost" in the system and her absence overlooked is a task that is more than challenging. Unless someone comes forward with some pretty compelling information soon, this case may be one of those that goes cold for decades. I hope and I pray that this sweet little Jane is reunited with her identity soon. Whoever is responsible for her death, for placing her tiny body into trash bags and a suitcase, for driving to that pasture and dragging the suitcase 75 feet off of the road, for leaving her there to be discovered by an unsuspecting property owner...I hope justice is served.