Millions share story of Baby Doe found dead in Boston Harbor

BOSTON -- In her computer-generated image, she is the picture of innocence: a 4-year-old girl with long brown hair, chubby cheeks and expressive brown eyes. The image has attracted a staggering 45 million views on Facebook as investigators try to identity the child whose remains were found on a Boston Harbor beach nearly two weeks ago.

The mystery of Baby Doe began June 25, when a woman walking her dog on the western shore of Deer Island called 911 and reported finding a trash bag containing the girl's body. The child was wearing white leggings with black polka dots. Inside the bag with her remains was a zebra-print blanket.

Police immediately appealed to the public for help in identifying the girl. Using photos of her remains, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children created a composite image of what the girl may have looked like when she was alive.

After that image and photos of the leggings and blanket were posted on the Massachusetts State Police Facebook page, investigators were astonished by the number of views and shares the posting received. By late Tuesday, more than 45.4 million people had viewed the image. But authorities still haven't identified the girl.

"It has by far shattered our previous record for Facebook views," said Jake Wark, a spokesman for Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley, whose office is overseeing the investigation.

Adding to the mystery is that investigators still haven't been able to figure out how she died. There were no obvious signs of trauma to her body, and an autopsy performed by the state medical examiner's office did not determine the manner or cause of her death.

Conley said Tuesday authorities are awaiting the results of toxicology tests to determine whether the girl was poisoned or ingested drugs.

She weighed 30 pounds and was about 3 1/2 feet tall. Her body was reasonably intact but had a modest amount of decomposition. Authorities won't say how long they believe she had been dead by the time her remains were discovered.

They also don't know whether the girl lived in Massachusetts or came from another state. They will not say whether the trash bag containing her body washed up on shore or was left on the beach by someone.

Investigators have received "dozens and dozens" of tips from the public, and those leads have prompted police to check on the well-being of 20 girls in the same age range. All those girls were found safe.

Conley said the outpouring of support by people who have shared the girl's image on social media is gratifying and gives him confidence her identity eventually will be determined.