FLINT, Mich. – The family of a 4-year-old Flint girl who was kidnapped and murdered 25 years ago is still hoping for justice.
July 1, 1997, Jessica Phelps vanished from her home on Flint’s east side. Nine months later, on April 2, 1998, a man excavating a stretch of road around 15 miles away uncovered her skeletal remains.
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According to family, police suspected that she died the day she disappeared and it is believed she died by asphyxiation.
According to NBC News, the Flint Police Department’s investigation was hindered because Jessica’s remains were exposed to the elements for a long period of time and it was unlikely they would get DNA or forensic clues. In 2017, police said tips were still coming in but none had panned out and no solid evidence had been recovered.
Jessica’s family started a Justice for Jessica Phelps Facebook page to bring awareness to the case with the hope of bringing in tips.
If you have any information you should contact Flint police at 810-237-6945 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up. All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous. Click here to submit a tip online. Visit the Justice for Jessica Phelps Facebook page.
Read: More Michigan cold case coverage
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