A 4 year old girl is found murdered three days after she was abducted Dannarriah Finley, a 4-year-old girl, was abducted from her home in Orange, Texas, on July 4, 2002. Her mother had put her to bed with her siblings and cousins, and she was last seen asleep in a white floral shirt and purple shorts around 4 a.m. Tragically, four days later, her body was found near a dredge pipeline ditch on Pleasure Island in Port Arthur, about 27 miles away from where she had disappeared.
The child's body was found wrapped in a pink flowered bed sheet, which led to some early investigative leads, though these have not resulted in an arrest. The autopsy revealed that Dannarriah had been sexually assaulted and strangled before being discarded in this remote area.
The community of Orange came together in a massive search effort for Dannarriah, and the news of her death left the community devastated. More than 700 mourners attended her funeral service, which was held at Mount Zion Baptist Church. Friends and family remembered her as a sweet child, full of life, whose future was tragically stolen from her. Despite extensive investigative efforts by the Orange Police Department, FBI, and Texas Rangers, no arrests have been made, and her case remains unsolved.
The case has haunted Southeast Texas for over 20 years. Every year, on July 4th, residents of Orange are reminded of Dannarriah's disappearance and the heart-wrenching crime that followed. Investigators have periodically reviewed the evidence, and recent advances in forensic technology have given them hope that they may be able to uncover new information. Authorities believe that more than one person may have knowledge of the crime and have urged anyone with any information to come forward, as even seemingly insignificant details could help solve the case.
Law enforcement continues to actively seek leads and have emphasized that they will not rest until those responsible are brought to justice. The City of Orange and Dannarriah's family remain hopeful that justice will be served one day, and community efforts continue to remember her life and seek closure for her grieving loved ones.
