BNO News

Body of missing 7-year-old U.S. girl found in Georgia dumpster

By BNO News

CANTON, GEORGIA (BNO NEWS) -- A 7-year-old girl who went missing from her apartment complex in the U.S. state of Georgia last week was found dead in a nearby dumpster on Monday afternoon, investigators said.

Jorelys Rivera went missing on late Friday afternoon from the River Ridge apartment complex in Canton, a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County. She was last seen at around 5 p.m. local time at the building's playground and never returned after going to get a drink.

Vernon Keenan, the Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), said the body was found on early Monday afternoon when investigators searched a dumpster about 100 yards (91 meters) from the apartment complex. "She was in the dumpster. It appears from the examination of the agents at the scene that she was severely beaten. We believe that she was sexually assaulted," Keenan said.

"This is going to be a very, very horrendous crime. I am convinced of that after having observed the body," the GBI Director said. "A child death is always a terrible thing but a child who dies under extreme violence is the absolute worst thing that can happen to a human being."

The body of Rivera was later transported to the GBI Crime Laboratory where an autopsy took place on Monday evening. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed, and there were no immediate suspects.

"We are pursuing several leads but, quite frankly, at this point, we do not have a strong suspect. We've not focused in on anyone," Keenan said during a news conference. "We very much need information from the public who may know something about the abduction of this child and the child's subsequent murder. So we welcome information from the public."

Investigators believe that both the abduction and the murder occurred at the apartment complex. "Evidence thus far points to that and the fact that the body was disposed of in a dumpster that was located at the apartment complex," Keenan said.

Some residents criticized investigators for being too slow to respond and said the dumpster should have been searched earlier. Police did not issue a Levi's Call - the state's Amber Alert system - because there were no witnesses who were able to confirm the child had been abducted.

Keenan said Rivera's mother is not a suspect, but she nonetheless lost custody of her two younger children following the abduction. "We don't think the child's mother had anything to do with her disappearance at this point," Canton Police Detective Candy Worthy told local media. "We just think that she was not supervising well enough to keep all of the children safe."

But the mother, Joselin, appeared in a family court on Monday to try and get her children back. "I'm a very good mother," Joselin was quoted as saying by 11Alive News. "I'm a very hard-working mother. My kids have everything they need. Everything is in order. They have their room. They have their food. They don't want for anything."

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011 at 8:16 am | BNO News | 15 Comments

Blunz53

How sad. Another child never to rock, love or live life to the fullest.
Anonymous

The justice system has completely failed our children. Only direct action by concerned parents is possible. Find the APE, give him 10 minutes to confess and make piece then give him a South African Bonfire. All you need is a old tire, a can of gas and a match. What jury would convict a hero taking out this trash? Any Lawyer that got this pig off on earlier crimes is a co-conspiriter and is responsible for this child’s torture, give them a light as well.
Blunz53

I’d be glad to bring the match & fuel!
Tgbaileyj

The mom just lost her kid in a horrible way and to comfort her they take her other kids too thats bull shit. I heart goes out to them and think the investigators should be shot
Jamiek0784

Give this woman her children back! She just lost an innocent little girl!
Katelynn916

So sad….I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child that way. To take her other 2 children though? Thats so ignorant. Focus your time on finding the animal that did this to the poor little girl, not terrorizing the mother.
E Basiliere

Give the women her kids back. It’s not her fault that they are crazy sick people in this world that would do such a thing to a little girl. She is going through enough as it is.
E Basiliere

I don’t think that the investigators should be shot but she does deserve her children back. Js!
Sheikhkamara69

Round up every rapist(something that makes them wanna go)and blow em to kingdom cone.NO MERCY.i know some would get out of jail somehow,i just know
Sheikhkamara69

R.I.P Lil girl,tell jesus to kill that mofo
Jayla Paris

what is the world coming to when peoples children arent safe at a playground anymore. sick bastards.
Mhappliancerepair

True…but by now we should know that we cannot rely on the authorities to guard and protect us so we have to take an active part in protecting our own. The hearts of people are cold and insensitive.
xhpeters

The investigators need to do more then just take this woman’s children away, like maybe do their job. What evidence pointed towards her neglect? What evidence? I’d like to know what the police were doing while this poor little girl was being brutalized. I want to know why the police did not start looking into this the second they received the call. I want to know why this little girl did not matter to them. I want to know why this little girls life had no purpose, no reason, for those police officers that decided not to look into this immediately. If the mother is not a suspect, there is no reason to take away her other children. IF the police are suddenly so interested in this woman, maybe they can use all that extra energy to find that person who murdered that little girl before he does it again. Instead of wasting their time with someone who is not a suspect.
Sherii

Wat everyone needs to realize is that yes it’s sad that this has happened to a young innocent little girl but maybe if the mother had been looking out for her properly it may not have happened. I’m not saying its her fault and that she deserves to get her children taken from her, if anything I think it’s wrong but if she had taken that few seconds to gather up the other children and taken them all up to get drinks then her daughter may still be here. Also the investigators should have checked all perimeters of the building high and low. With taking such slow action there may have been a chance of saving her. In saying all of that I hopetheycatch the asshole that preys on kids before it happens to someone else’s children…beat him to a pulpe and see how he likes it.!
FAITHJ63

This is so depressing to see that children cant even go to a playground an be safe..The person that did this to this little girl desrves to die a horriable death like how low can you be to do this to a little girl damnn man she had her whole life ahead of her she was only 7..The mom deserves her kids back she didnt do this to her daughter I cant even imagine the pain shes going through knowing the person who did this to her daughter is still out there must be a horrid feeling!! MY HEART GOES out to this family “RIP Jorelys”