Alexandra Anaya was a 13-year old girl from Hammond, Indiana who went missing on August 13, 2005. Part of her remains were found on August 16, 2005, and although there was a suspect in custody, Alexandra’s murder remains unsolved.
Alexandra Anaya was born on November 4, 1992. She lived with her mother, Sandra Anaya and her two younger twin sisters, Romy and Roxy, in Hammond, Indiana. Alexandra’s mother described her as, “a beautiful child, kind and gentle who loved her twin sisters..Alexandra also loved animals and her hope was to be a veterinarian when she grew up.” Alexandra’s hobbies included playing soccer and volleyball and riding horses as well as volunteering at animal shelters, just a few of her many joys in life.
On the morning August 13, 2005, Sandra left her house to run some errands only to come back and discover that Alexandra was not in her bedroom and could not be found in the house. Sandra knew this was out of the ordinary for several reasons; Alexandra didn’t have a history of running away and she was quite content and happy with her life at the moment. Sandra later called the Hammond Indiana Police Department to report her daughter missing.
3 days later, on August 16, 2005, a 14-year old boy was out riding a speedboat on the Calumet River in Chicago, Illinois with his parents when he spotted what he thought was a mannequin. As the family approached, the boy’s parents realized it was not a mannequin but human remains. Authorities were then called in do to an investigation.
WARNING! graphic detail below
Upon investigating, the only part of the remains that were found were the child’s torso; the child’s head, arms, and legs were missing and have never been recovered to this day. The remains had been weighed down with chains and straps, most likely to prevent the discovery. The child’s cause of death could not be determined by autopsy, but the examiners ruled this death as clearly a homicide.
Alexandra’s mother, Sandra, was later called to the police station for more information regarding Alexandra’s disappearance. Sandra began telling investigators that at the time of her disappearance Alexandra had a scar on her chin and she had a sprained ankle, unbeknownst to her that only a torso was found. A DNA test was taken and a few weeks later, the results came in that the remains did belong to Alexandra, to which her mother broke down.
Following the investigation, Alexandra’s former stepdad and the father of her two younger sisters, Rudolfo Herediea, was being charged for stalking the family of Sandra after they had split up. He admitted to stalking and even making a key to enter Sandra’s home, but he was later acquitted of his charges. Rudolfo was a prime suspect in Alexandra’s murder because it was reported that he had been molesting Alexandra for years during the time he and her mother were involved, as well as the fact that he lived about 1.5 blocks from where Alexandra’s remains were found. Sandra ended her long term relationship with Rudolfo in the spring of 2005 upon learning from her daughter what he had done.
It’s been 15 years and there still haven’t been any charges made for Alexandra’s murder. It is believed that Alexandra knew her killer, and Sandra and the investigators believe they know who, but it’s a matter of having enough evidence to charge the killer. Police lieutenant Ron Johnson stated, “I never don’t think about it. It’s always on my mind,” when talking about Alexandra and the investigation. Although he has since retired, Johnson still follows her case.
This case was so heartbreaking to learn and read about. It’s even more heartbreaking knowing the circumstances and knowing that the person who committed such a horrid crime against an innocent and defenseless human hasn’t been brought to justice. Sandra Anaya stated that she hopes the rest of her daughters remains will eventually be found and her killer will pay for what they did. What happened to Alexandra was inhumane and I hope whoever did this is revealed soon; both Alexandra and her family deserve peace and justice.
TRUE CRIME REPORT 