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#Post#: 953--------------------------------------------------
TEMPE GIRL: HF, 15-19, she died of an overdose while hitchhiking
- 27 April 2002 *GRAPHIC*
By: Akoya Date: February 9, 2020, 2:17 pm
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HTML http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/501UFAZ1_LARGE.jpg
The victim had previously been picked up near 32nd Street and
Greenway Road in Phoenix, Arizona while hitchhiking. Apart from
the driver, a second person, a drug dealer, was in the vehicle.
She advised the driver she had been kicked out of her residence
due to drug abuse. She also told the driver she wanted to get
tickets to a concert but instead spent money on cocaine from the
drug dealer. She may have been a Spanish speaker.
Along the way, the female used cocaine and began to have a
seizure and her body was left behind a strip mall. The driver
told the drug dealer to call police, but the body was not
discovered until the next morning.
The victim's death was not ruled as a homicide or accident due
to the circumstaces described by the driver of the vehicle, who
was linked to the victim through fingerprints by police.
#Post#: 954--------------------------------------------------
Re: TEMPE GIRL: HF, 15-19, she died of an overdose while hitchhi
king - 27 April 2002 *GRAPHIC*
By: Akoya Date: February 9, 2020, 2:18 pm
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HTML https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/1987
HTML https://i.imgur.com/NtClC8N.jpg
Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP1987 Female, Hispanic / Latino
Date Found
April 27, 2002
Location Found
Tempe, Arizona
Estimated Age Range
15-19 Years
Case Information
Case Numbers
NCMEC Number
--
ME/C Case Number
02-1368
Demographics
Sex
Female
Race / Ethnicity
Hispanic / Latino
--
Estimated Age Group
Adult - Pre 20
Estimated Age Range (Years)
15-19
Estimated Year of Death
2002
Estimated PMI
24 Hours
Height
5' 1"(61 inches) , Measured
Weight
125 lbs, Measured
Circumstances
Type
Unidentified Deceased
Date Found
April 27, 2002
NamUs Case Created
May 11, 2008
ME/C QA Reviewed
--
Location Found Map
Street Address
University just east of McClintock
in a business complex
Tempe, Arizona 85281
County
Maricopa County
GPS Coordinates
--
Circumstances of Recovery
This teenage female was found behind a business in Tempe but she
likely had been picked up hitchhiking near 32nd Street and
Greenway Road in Phoenix on 4/26/02. At that time she reportedly
told the driver in Spanish that she was kicked out of a house
for drug use. Her death was due to a drug overdose. She is
possibly Hispanic, Native American, or biracial.
Details of Recovery
Inventory of Remains
All parts recovered
Condition of Remains
Recognizable face
Physical Description
Hair Color
Brown
Head Hair Description
Approx. 12.5 inches long and is dark and straight
Body Hair Description
--
Facial Hair Description
--
Left Eye Color
Brown
Right Eye Color
Brown
Eye Description
Brown
Distinctive Physical Features
Item
Description
Scar/markShe has several scars, among them a scar on the back of
the left hand and a scar on the top of the left shoulder.
Case Photo
Clothing and Accessories
Item
Description
Clothingred tank top, blue jeans with a zipper on side, round
eyelets at waistband ("Watch LA" brand), and blue underwearOn
the Body
Footwearblack slip on shoes with 3" wedge heels, size 6.5
("Lower Eastside" brand)On the Body
Jewelry She had faded purple polish on her fingernails, a purple
bracelent, and an elastic hair tie on her right wristOn the Body
Investigating Agencies
Tempe Police Department
(480) 350-8311
Agency Case Number
02-067577
--
Maricopa Medical Examiner
--
Agency Case Number
--
Suzi Dodt
--
Case Contributors
Christen Eggers, Medicolegal Death Investigator
Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner
(602) 506-3322
#Post#: 955--------------------------------------------------
Re: TEMPE GIRL: HF, 15-19, she died of an overdose while hitchhi
king - 27 April 2002 *GRAPHIC*
By: Akoya Date: February 9, 2020, 2:20 pm
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HTML https://i.imgur.com/na648RQ.jpg
#Post#: 956--------------------------------------------------
Re: TEMPE GIRL: HF, 15-19, she died of an overdose while hitchhi
king - 27 April 2002 *GRAPHIC*
By: Akoya Date: February 9, 2020, 2:23 pm
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HTML https://i.imgur.com/OqZETs8.jpg
#Post#: 957--------------------------------------------------
Re: TEMPE GIRL: HF, 15-19, she died of an overdose while hitchhi
king - 27 April 2002 *GRAPHIC*
By: Akoya Date: February 9, 2020, 2:26 pm
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HTML http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/501ufaz.html
501UFAZ - Unidentified Female
HTML http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/501UFAZ1_LARGE.jpg
HTML http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/501UFAZ.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/501UFAZ_shoe.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/501UFAZ_bracelet.jpg
HTML http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/501UFAZ3_LARGE.jpghttp://www.doenetwork.org/cases/images/501UFAZ2_LARGE.jpg
Reconstruction of the decedent by NCMEC and Diana Trepkov;
waistband of pants, shoe and bracelet worn by the decedent; scar
on hand. To view postmortem photographs, please click photo 1
and photo 2.
Date of Discovery: April 27, 2002
Location of Discovery: Tempe, Maricopa County, Arizona
Estimated Date of Death: Hours prior
State of Remains: Recognizable face
Cause of Death: Cocaine overdose
Physical Description
Estimated Age: 15-19 years old
Race: Hispanic and/or Native American
Sex: Female
Height: 5'0" to 5'2"
Weight: 120-125 lbs.
Hair Color: Black, twelve inches long.
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: She had a scar approximately 1"
long on back of her hand extending from just below pinky and
ring finger area toward wrist; scar on left shoulder.
Identifiers
Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Available
Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
Circumstances of Discovery
The victim had previously been picked up near 32nd Street and
Greenway Road in Phoenix, Arizona while hitchhiking. Apart from
the driver, a second person, a drug dealer, was in the vehicle.
She advised the driver she had been kicked out of her residence
due to drug abuse. She also told the driver she wanted to get
tickets to a concert but instead spent money on cocaine from the
drug dealer. She may have been a Spanish speaker.
Along the way, the female used cocaine and began to have a
seizure and her body was left behind a strip mall. The driver
told the drug dealer to call police, but the body was not
discovered until the next morning.
The victim's death was not ruled as a homicide or accident due
to the circumstaces described by the driver of the vehicle, who
was linked to the victim through fingerprints by police.
Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: Maricopa County Medical Examiner
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 602-506-3322
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 02-067757
Agency Name: Tempe Police Department
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 480-350-8311
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: Unknown
NCIC Case Number: U250003069
NamUs Case Number: 1987
NCMEC Case Number: 1111241
Information Source(s)
NamUs
NCMEC
AZ Central (1/6/06)
Wikipedia
Maricopa County Medical Examiner
NCMA
Admin Notes
Added: 7/9/06; Last Updated: 6/11/18
#Post#: 958--------------------------------------------------
Re: TEMPE GIRL: HF, 15-19, she died of an overdose while hitchhi
king - 27 April 2002 *GRAPHIC*
By: Akoya Date: February 9, 2020, 2:28 pm
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HTML http://unidentified.wikia.com/wiki/Tempe_Girl
Tempe Girl
Tempe Girl was a teenager who died of a cocaine overdose in
Tempe, Arizona in 2002.
Case
The unidentified woman was found behind a business around 1850
East University Drive in Tempe, Arizona, by an employee. Nearby
her body was a CD case with fingerprints on it, leading
authorities to a local woman. The woman, who owned the CD case,
last left it in her car and didn't know who the unidentified
woman was, but her boyfriend had access to her car the day
before the unidentified woman was found and knew who she was.
The driver claimed to have picked the unidentified woman up as a
hitchhiker near 32nd Street and Greenway Road in Phoenix,
Arizona. While driving, she supposedly told him in Spanish that
she was disowned from her family for being a recreational drug
user, didn't have anywhere to stay, and she wanted to buy
tickets to a concert. However, the unidentified woman changed
her mind and decided to buy cocaine off of the other passenger
in the car, who was a drug dealer. Depending on the source, the
drug dealer was either already in the car when she'd been picked
up or the drug dealer was picked up later on.
The unidentified woman began convulsing after snorting cocaine,
which led to the driver pulling over and telling the drug dealer
to call somebody. A 9-1-1 call was made to the Tempe Police near
where her body was found, but it was unintelligible. It's
unknown if the unidentified woman fell out of the car, got out
on her own, been pushed out, or carried out the car. Due to the
medical examiner being unable to determine her exact age or if
she was still alive when she left the vehicle, police were
unable to press charges against the driver.
Physical Description
She had brown eyes.
Her hair was straight. black, and 12 to 12.5 inches long.
She had two noticable scars: one on the back of her left hand in
the shape of a "T" and the other was on top of her left
shoulder.
Her nails were painted with faded purple nail polish.
She may have been a Spanish speaker.
Clothing and belongings
A red halter top.
Watch L.A. brand blue jeans with a side zipper and eyelets on
the waistband.
Blue underwear.
One Lower Eastside black slip-on dress shoe, size 6.5 and with a
3 inch wedge heel.
A purple elastic hair tie was on her right wrist.
Tempe Girl
HTML https://i.imgur.com/a5EbEoZ.jpg
Sex Female
Race Hispanic/Native
Location Tempe, Arizona
Found April 27, 2002
Unidentified for 16 years
Postmortem interval 24 hours
Body condition Recognizable face
Age approximation 15 - 19
Height approximation 5' - 5'2"
Weight approximation 120 - 125 pounds
Cause of death Cocaine overdose
HTML https://i.imgur.com/NaV8k2y.jpg
HTML https://i.imgur.com/wWxUWde.jpg
#Post#: 959--------------------------------------------------
Re: TEMPE GIRL: HF, 15-19, she died of an overdose while hitchhi
king - 27 April 2002 *GRAPHIC*
By: Akoya Date: February 9, 2020, 2:32 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
HTML https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempe_Girl
Tempe Girl
Tempe Girl is the name given to an unidentified decedent whose
body was discovered on April 27, 2002 in Tempe, Arizona. She had
died of cocaine intoxication—ruled to be neither an accident nor
a homicide—one day before the discovery of her body. This
decedent is believed to have been of either Hispanic or Native
American ethnicity and was allegedly picked up while
hitchhiking, claiming she had been effectively disowned by her
own mother for her frequent recreational drug use.
This unidentified decedent became known as Tempe Girl due to the
city in which her body was discovered. Her official case number
is 02-1368
Discovery
On April 27, 2002, the fully clothed body of a teenage female
was discovered in the vicinity of 1850 East University Drive,
close to the Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona. She
had been deceased for less than 24 hours before the discovery of
her body.
Close to the body of the decedent, investigators located a
compact disc, from which they were able to retrieve several
clear fingerprints which, via an examination of police records,
were identified as belonging to a woman living in Phoenix,
Arizona.
Autopsy
Tempe Girl was aged between 15 and 19 years old at the time of
her death, and was five feet one inch in height.[n 1] She
weighed between 120 and 125 pounds, and was most likely of
Hispanic ancestry, although her actual heritage may have been
Native American.
The decedent had brown eyes and black hair which was 12 inches
in length, extending past her shoulder by several inches. She
wore a red halter top, blue jeans with a distinctive hollow
silver medallion pattern, a side zipper, and eyelets upon the
waistband, blue underwear, one wedge black high heel shoe (size
6.5), and a purple elastic hair tie upon her wrist. In addition,
the decedent had an L-shaped scar measuring approximately one
inch in length on the back of her left hand; this scar was
vertical, and extended beneath her pinky and ring fingers toward
her wrist. She also had a scar on her left shoulder. The
decedent also wore faded purple nail polish on her fingernails.
Her dental charts, DNA, and fingerprints yielded no results
matching her to any known missing person.
Initially, investigators suspected the cause of death of the
decedent to be foul play, although this theory was quickly
disproven through both the subsequent formal questioning of
witnesses, and discovering via the official coroner's report
that the official cause of death had been acute cocaine
intoxication. The ultimate nature of this case was never
determined, as the autopsy conducted upon the decedent did not
reveal if she had been murdered or had died by a form of
misadventure.
Investigation
The clothing Tempe Girl had worn did not assist investigators in
determining her identity, as all manufacturing brands were
either common or could not be determined.
Upon discovering that the fingerprints upon the compact disc
located close to the decedent's body belonged to a woman living
in Phoenix, investigators interviewed this individual. The woman
claimed to have no knowledge about the decedent, although her
boyfriend confirmed to investigators that he had observed this
girl hitchhiking alone near 32nd Street and Greenway Road in
Phoenix on April 26, and that he had offered her a ride to her
intended destination of Tempe. According to this eyewitness, the
girl had been hitchhiking from Phoenix to Tempe with an
expressed intention of purchasing tickets for an upcoming music
concert.
April 26, 2002
According to the woman's boyfriend, the girl had voluntarily
entered his vehicle in the vicinity of 32nd Street and Greenway
Road on April 26. The young woman had conversed solely in
Spanish as she rode in his vehicle, and had furthermore informed
this individual that she had recently been effectively disowned
by her own family due to her habitual recreational drug use. He
had driven her to Tempe, where the decedent had initially stated
she intended to purchase tickets for a music concert, although
en route, she had changed her mind and asked the man if he was
able to obtain drugs, to which he replied in the affirmative.
After the driver had picked up a second individual—whom he had
known as a drug dealer—the young woman had spent her money on
cocaine from this individual instead of purchasing tickets.
Shortly after the decedent ingested the cocaine, she reportedly
developed a negative reaction to the drug, causing her to
experience acute convulsions.[n 2] The driver claimed that the
and his other passenger drove to a parking lot behind a nearby
shopping mall located in the area of 1850 East University Drive,
close to the Arizona State University, where he then removed the
girl—deceased or otherwise—from the back seat of his car before
instructing the passenger who had sold her the drug to dial 911
at a nearby gas station. He had then simply drove away from the
scene, making no attempt to contact police or paramedics
himself. [n 3]
At 5:40 a.m. the following day, Tempe Girl's body was found
lying in situ behind this shopping mall.
The driver of the vehicle in which Tempe Girl had allegedly
ingested the cocaine was never prosecuted, as the medical
examiner was uncertain either if the decedent had been under 18
at the time of her death; whether she was still alive at the
time she left his vehicle; or if she had been either pushed or
dragged from the vehicle to the location of her discovery.
Ongoing investigation
Tempe investigators did subsequently search through numerous
schools in Arizona for leads pertaining to any female known to
be missing whose physical features matched her description. All
these lines of inquiry failed to bear fruition. In addition, the
Tempe Police Department have maintained contact with Mexican
investigators, suspecting the decedent may possibly have been an
immigrant.[n 4]
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and other
institutions have created forensic facial reconstructions of
Tempe Girl to illustrate estimations of how she may have
appeared in life.Three missing people have thus far been ruled
out as being the decedent.In addition, the woman's fingerprints,
dental records, DNA and other identifying information have been
entered into national identity databases, including the Combined
DNA Index System and the National Crime Information Center,
although to date, all efforts to identify Tempe Girl have proven
unsuccessful.
#Post#: 960--------------------------------------------------
Re: TEMPE GIRL: HF, 15-19, she died of an overdose while hitchhi
king - 27 April 2002 *GRAPHIC*
By: Akoya Date: February 9, 2020, 2:33 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
HTML https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempe_Girl
Tempe Girl
HTML https://i.imgur.com/BUzGWbd.jpg
A forensic facial reconstruction of how Tempe Girl had likely
appeared in life
Born 1983–1987 (approximate)
Status Unidentified for 16 years, 10 months and 24 days
Died April 26, 2002 (age 15–19)
Cause of death Cocaine overdose[1]
Body discovered April 27, 2002
Tempe, Maricopa County, Arizona, United States 33.4245°N
111.9280°W (approximate)
Known for Currently unidentified decedent
Height 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m)[2]
Weight 120 lb (54 kg) (minimum)
125 lb (57 kg)(maximum)
"There's just not enough information to know. I still find it
odd that nobody's come forward yet ... We've just got nothing.
We do hope that at some point we will at least be able to tell
her family."
Detective John Thompson of the Tempe Police Department,
discussing the ongoing investigation into determining the
identity of Tempe Girl, and the precise circumstances
surrounding her death. September 13, 2010.
#Post#: 961--------------------------------------------------
Re: TEMPE GIRL: HF, 15-19, she died of an overdose while hitchhi
king - 27 April 2002 *GRAPHIC*
By: Akoya Date: February 9, 2020, 2:34 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
HTML http://archive.azcentral.com/specials/special14/articles/0106coldcase06.html
Tempe police hope to identify 2 bodies
Jan. 6, 2006 12:00 AM
Tempe police continue to search for answers in two separate
deaths in the city. On March 11, 2003, a well-dressed,
middle-age man died after he reportedly jumped off the top of
the Chase building parking structure in downtown Tempe. In
another case, a teenage girl's body was found March 26, 2002,
behind a Tempe business.
The first case: Police believe the man committed suicide when he
jumped from the six-story structure and landed near the
landscaping on the ground below, but his identity remains a
mystery.
When and where: The incident occurred March 11, 2003, at the
Chase building near the northwest corner of Mill Avenue and
University Drive at the parking structure. The man was seen
jumping at about 8 p.m. from the parking garage.
Summary: The man had extensive dental work, including porcelain
and gold caps, and he carried a wallet with several hundred
dollars but no identification.
Police found no note and no ties to any vehicle in the parking
garage.
What bothers police the most; Tempe police Detective James Sweig
thought he solved the case when a woman from California
contacted him with a description of a man with similar dental
work and age, but the similarities weren't a match.
"It gets frustrating because you think this is really close,"
Sweig said.
Sweig said the man's DNA was submitted to the Department of
Public Safety.
The man is described as White, between 40 and 50 years old, 5
feet 9, with gray hair and blue eyes. He wore a white T-shirt
and jeans.
The second case: A teenage girl's body was found behind a Tempe
business after her mother reportedly kicked her out of their
house. At first, police suspected foul play but ruled it out
after questioning suspects and learning the girl overdosed on
drugs.
Police believe she may have been a Phoenix resident but have
been unable to officially identify her.
When and where: The girl died of a cocaine overdose in the 1800
block of East University Drive in Tempe behind a golf store. Her
body was found at 5:40 a.m.
Summary
Police said the girl, who they believe was 17, was near
hitchhiking near 32nd Street and Greenway Road in Phoenix when
she was picked up by a man. The man told police he took her to
Tempe, where she said she wanted to get tickets to a concert,
police said.
But the girl changed her mind and asked the man if he could get
her drugs and he did, police said.
The girl told the man she was kicked out of her house by her
mother for drug abuse.
She used the cocaine and the man dropped her off. Her body was
found the next day.
Sweig said police checked high schools and grade schools and
found no matches.
The girl is described as Hispanic or American Indian, 16 to 19
years old, 5 feet tall, with dark hair and brown eyes. She had a
scars on her left hand and left shoulder and wore a red halter
top, blue pants and black slip-on dress shoes.
Sweig and others across the nation are using a Web site,
www.theyaremissed.org, that profiles missing or unidentified
people with a photo in hopes that someone will recognize the
unidentified.
To see profiles of the unidentified people in this report, go to
the Web site, under "Profiles," click on "Unidentified Persons"
then on either of the first two Tempe links.
How you can help: Anyone with information on either case is
asked to contact Tempe police at (480) 350-8311.
- Sarah Muench
#Post#: 962--------------------------------------------------
Re: TEMPE GIRL: HF, 15-19, she died of an overdose while hitchhi
king - 27 April 2002 *GRAPHIC*
By: Akoya Date: February 9, 2020, 2:36 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
HTML http://unidentified.maricopa.gov/search.aspx?caseNum=02-1368
Unidentified Persons Bureau
SOME OF THE CONTENT OF THIS SITE MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR
EVERYONE*
FAQ's for Unidentified
Case Num: 02-1368
Found on: 4/27/2002
Age Range: 15-19
Jurisdiction:
Gender: Female
Circumstances
This teenage female was found behind a business in Tempe but she
had been picked up hitchhiking near 32nd Street and Greenway
Road in Phoenix. At that time she told the driver in Spanish
that she was kicked out of a house for drug use. Her death was
due to a drug overdose.
Description
She appears to be Hispanic, Native American, or biracial and has
brown eyes. Her hair is approximately 12.5 inches long and is
dark and straight. She is 5'1" tall and weighs 125 pounds. She
has several scars, among them a scar on the back of the left
hand and a scar on the top of the left shoulder. She had faded
purple polish on her fingernails and a purple elastic hair tie
on her wrist. She was wearing a red tank top, blue jeans with a
side zipper and eyelets on waistband, and blue underwear, along
with black shoes, size 6.5 with 3" wedge heels.
Scientific Information
Her DNA has been entered into the CODIS national database and a
copy of her dental x-rays are on file.
View Photos (photos may be disturbing to some viewers)
Do you have information on this case?
Please help us and remain anonymous if you choose.
Office Hours
Mon-Fri: 8am-4pm
except holidays
Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner
Forensic Science Center
701 West Jefferson Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Ph: 602-506-3322 Fax: 602-506-1546
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