Amy Mihaljevic
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| Amy Mihaljevic | |
 Amy Mihaljevic's 5th Grade School photo. Photo taken near time of disappearance, distributed to local and national press by the police and FBI after her kidnapping. Used in later attempts to identify her murderer.
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| Born | December 11, 1978 Ohio, United States |
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| Died | October, 1989 |
Amy Mihaljevic (December 11, 1978–October 1989) was an elementary schoolgirl who was kidnapped and murdered in the U.S. state of Ohio in 1989. Her murder case raised national attention. The story of her unsolved kidnap/murder was one of the first unsolved crimes presented by John Walsh on the television show, America's Most Wanted during its first year. To date, her killer has not been found, yet the case remains active; new information in 2007 has increased hopes of resolving the case.
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[edit] Case history
On October 27, 1989, ten-year-old Amy Mihaljevic was kidnapped from the Bay Square Shopping Center in Bay Village, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The abductor had contacted Mihaljevic by telephone and arranged to meet her on the pretext of buying a gift for her mother, who had recently been promoted. On February 8, 1990, the girl's body was found in a field off of County Road 1181, Ruggles Township in rural Ashland County, Ohio. [1]
Evidence found at the scene of the crime suggests that Mihaljevic's body had not been in the field for very long, perhaps no longer than a few hours before being discovered by a morning jogger. [2] Though she had been dead for months, her body had been previously stored in a relatively cool place, as the rate of decomposition was slow. Based on findings by the Cuyahoga County coroner, Mihaljevic's last meal was some sort of soy substance, possibly fake chicken product or Chinese take-away. Other evidence includes the presence of yellow/gold colored fibres on her body. [3] It appears her killer also took several souvenirs including the girl's horse-riding boots, her denim backpack, a binder with "Buick, Best in Class" written on the front clasp, and turquoise earrings in the shape of horse heads. [4]
The Bay Village Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted an extensive investigation into her disappearance and murder. The case generated thousands of leads. Dozens of suspects were asked to take lie-detector tests. But no one has ever been charged with the crime. Law enforcement continues pursue leads and monitor suspects to the present day.
In 2005, Cleveland journalist James Renner re-examined this cold case, with a series of articles in the weekly newspaper Cleveland Scene. Here he provided new research that he had independently undertaken, as well as openly soliciting the public for new information and clues. In October 2006, publisher Gray & Co. released a book about Renner's investigation into the murder called Amy: My Search for Her Killer. The book provided information, previously unreleased by the police and FBI. In 2007, author James Renner donated his files, consisting of the largest private collection of material on the Mihaljevic case to the Department of Special Collections and Archives at Kent State University,Ohio.[5]
In November 2006 that several other young girls had received phone calls similar to that to which Amy responded, during the weeks prior to Amy's abduction in 1989. These comprised requests from an unknown man, claiming to work with their mother, asking the girl to help him shop for a present to celebrate her mother's job promotion. The girls who received these calls lived in North Olmsted, a suburb near Bay Village; Some had unlisted phone numbers. This new information was considered significant to new movement on the case.[citation needed]
Bay Village police collected DNA samples from several potential suspects in the case in December, 2006. As from early 2007, it was reported that a longtime suspect in the case has retained legal counsel.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ Brent Larkin, "Still on the Hunt for Amy's Killer". Accessed at http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/brent_larkin/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1182588565172430.xml&coll=2.
- ^ Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Still on the Hunt for Amy's Killer". Accessed at http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/brent_larkin/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1182588565172430.xml&coll=2.
- ^ Cuyahoga County Autopsy Report. Accessed at http://amymihaljevic.blogspot.com/2007/05/autopsy.html.
- ^ Cleveland Scene. Accessed at http://www.clevescene.com/2005-07-20/news/the-coldest-case/.
- ^ True Crime blog. Accessed at http://amymihaljevic.blogspot.com/2007/06/end.html.
[edit] Bibliography
- Renner, James (2006). Amy: My Search for Her Killer: Secrets & Suspects in the Unsolved Murder of Amy Mihaljevic. Cleveland, Ohio: Gray & Co. ISBN 9781598510195.
[edit] External links
- Assisting Missing Youth (A.M.Y)
- "The Coldest Case", James Renner, Cleveland Scene, Jul 20, 2005.
- Updates on the investigation
- Gray&Co
- Book Excerpt, Free Times, October 18, 2006.
- News segments on Youtube
- Amy Mihaljevic at Find A Grave
