On a fall afternoon in Hartford, Connecticut, four-year-old Rosa Marie Camacho, affectionately known as 'Rosita,' was with her mother, Rosa Delgado. The two were seen leaving a local grocery store on October 24, 1997, after running a simple errand to buy diapers and milk. Earlier that evening, Rosa's mother had been seen speaking with Rosita's father and her ex-boyfriend, Julio Camacho, on a street corner in their Parkville neighborhood.
After this conversation, the mother and daughter continued to the store, and the owner watched them leave, which was the last time anyone reported seeing them together. At the time of her disappearance, young Rosa was about three feet tall and weighed 38 pounds, with light brown hair and brown eyes. She primarily spoke Spanish. She was last seen wearing a black jacket and blue pants.
The hope of a safe return for both mother and child was tragically shattered the following month. In November 1997, the body of Rosa Delgado was discovered by duck hunters in Columbia Lake in western New Jersey, approximately 180 miles from Hartford. The location was known to be accessible by highway. Due to the condition of her remains, which were missing the head and hands, it took two years for her to be identified. Authorities conducted searches of the lake for Rosita, but tragically, no trace of the little girl was found, and her whereabouts remain unknown to this day. Rosa Delgado's death was ruled a homicide, leaving the fate of her young daughter a painful and unanswered question.
The investigation into Rosa Delgado's murder and Rosita's disappearance soon focused on Rosita's father, Julio Camacho, who was a Hartford police officer at the time. He became the primary suspect in the case. A search of his car and home uncovered several disturbing items, including books about serial killers and murder, a handmade hatchet, and a wire garrote. Investigators also found that the trunk liner of his car was missing and the bottom had been sanded down. Despite these findings and his being seen with the mother and daughter on the day they vanished, Julio Camacho was never charged in connection with Rosa's murder or Rosita's disappearance due to a lack of sufficient evidence. The case remains an active and open investigation, with the Hartford Police Department and the FBI continuing to seek answers. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information that could lead to the recovery of Rosa Marie Camacho or the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for her disappearance. The heartbreaking mystery of what happened to a four-year-old girl who vanished after a trip to the store with her mother continues to endure decades later.Last Seen: Oct 24, 1997
