Millions share story of unknown girl found dead on beach

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Wednesday, July 8, 2015
The Massachusetts State Police released a computer-generated image of what the 4-year-old girl who was found dead in a trash bag on June 25 might look like.
Massachusetts State Police/Facebook

A post on the Massachusetts State Police Facebook page trying to identify a 4-year-old girl found dead on a beach has been viewed and shared across the world.

On June 25, a woman walking her dog on Massachusetts' Deer Island came across a trash bag on the beach. Inside was bag was the body of a 4-year-old girl and a zebra-print blanket. The girl weighed 30 pounds and was about 3 and 1/2 feet tall, according to the Associated Press.

Police immediately asked for the public's help in identifying the girl by providing a computer-generated image of what the girl might have looked like alive, based on photos of her remains.

The Massachusetts State Police then posted the composite photo on their Facebook page, where it received an astonishing 45 million views and thousands of shares from social media users trying to help identify the girl.

"It has by far shattered our previous record for Facebook views," said Jake Wark, a spokesperson for Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley. Conley's office is overseeing the investigation of the girl's death.

The Massachusetts State Police posted images of the girl's polka dot leggings and zebra blanket she was found with to their Facebook page as well.

Investigators still haven't been able to identify the girl or how she died. There were no signs of trauma to the body, and an autopsy performed by the state's medical examiner's office was not able to determine the manner or cause of the girl's death.

Conley said on Tuesday that authorities are currently awaiting the results of a toxicology report to determine if the girl was poisoned or ingested drugs.

Many Facebook users across the country have shared the computer-generated image, while commenting with messages of support and grief.

"So heartbreaking...shared from Long Island, New York," wrote one Facebook user.

"What kind of monster kills a child? Shared in San Diego," wrote another.

"She's someone's child! Surely, someone knows something!" commented one Facebook user.

Conley has been touched by the outpouring of support on social media and is confident it will help identify the girl.

On Tuesday, Conley spoke directly to the girl's parents or caretakers during a news conference: "Please step forward, clear your conscience and help us identify this young child."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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