Nearly four decades after a child’s body was found in the Escatawpa River, she has been identified thanks to persistent investigators and DNA technology.
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Delta Dawn and her mother identified as Missouri woman, child missing since 1982
Nearly four decades after a child’s body was found in the Escatawpa River, she has been identified thanks to persistent investigators and DNA technology.
It was 38 years ago this week when the body of a small child was found in the Escatawpa River under the I-10 bridge. That child has remained unidentified since she was found in 1982, despite numerous efforts over the years to figure out who she is and how she got into the river.
The toddler - believed to be between 18-24 months old - was dubbed “Delta Dawn” and “Baby Jane.”
On Friday, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department announced that they have identified Baby Jane as 18-month-old Alisha Ann Heinrich and her mother as 23-year-old Gwendolyn Clemons.
Sheriff Mike Ezell said Gwendolyn was last seen by her family on Thanksgiving 1982 in Joplin, Missouri. The young mother, baby Alisha, and an unidentified man left the state together, reportedly traveling to Florida to start a new life, according to the family.
They were never seen again. Less than two weeks later, the toddler’s body was found in the Escatawpa River.
According to family members, Gwendolyn and Alisha left the state headed to Florida with a man the young mother was dating. That man, who the family said is now deceased, is suspected of killing Alisha and possibly Gwendolyn.
To date, Gwendolyn has not been found and authorities can’t be sure she whether she is dead or alive.
Eyewitness Reports
On Dec. 3, 1982, witnesses reported seeing a woman carrying a toddler. The woman was reportedly seen between midnight and 1 a.m. on Dec. 3, 1982, carrying the child on Highway 63. A woman matching the same description was also reportedly seen shortly after on I-10 close to the Alabama border, walking west near the exit for the truck scales.
One of the witnesses who came forward told investigators she was monitoring the CB radio on the night of Dec. 3, 1982, when there was a lot of chatter about a woman with a child walking down the interstate and being in distress but refusing to let anyone help her.
Two days later at 7 a.m. on Dec. 5, 1982, a truck driver called police to report seeing the body of an adult woman in the Escatawpa River. A deputy responded and, while searching for the woman, came upon the body of Baby Jane.
Now, investigators will continue to conduct interviews and gather evidence to try and determine if the man last seen with Alisha and her mother is the person responsible for the child’s death. They are also working leads to try and find Gwendolyn to learn more about what happened to her.
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