remains found 12/6/09 near Norcross GA is Maritza Yepez (no suspect)

[Nut44x4]

Young female's remains found in Norcross

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- Gwinnett County police released new information Monday about remains found last week.

Investigators identified them as a woman between 15 and 21 years old. Officials are investigating the death as a homicide.

Police found clothing with the victim that may help identify her.

The following list of clothing was located with the victim when her body was discovered: American Eagle blue jeans, a light green T-shirt, and black and red Old Navy T-shirt, a Fruit of the Loom T-shirt, a white and red v-neck T-shirt, a Polo-style orange v-neck shirt, Mossimo blue jeans, black shorts, black sweatpants with a maroon and gold stripe, a black sports bra, a leopard print bra, a green T-shirt and brown and black plaid boxer shorts.

Gwinnett County Police Department officials said a man was walking his dog in a wooded area near Forest Vale Drive in Norcross on Dec. 6 when his dog discovered the skeletal remains of the woman.

Officials said the victim had been dead for several months.

Gwinnett County Police Department homicide investigators are requesting help from the public. Anyone with information about the incident or knowledge of the identity of the deceased are strongly encouraged to call Gwinnett County police at 770-513-5300. Information can also be relayed through Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477). Anonymous tips are welcome and could lead to a monetary reward of up to $2,000.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/21961548/detail.html#

[Nut44x4]

General vicinity
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl&q=Forest%20Vale%20Drive%20norcross%20ga

Geezeee, I did a SAT on it and zoomed in. Lot's of homes around. Nobody smelled anything??

[Sister]

Sounds like a lots of clothes for one person to have on -- maybe carrying a backpack or something?

[Nut44x4]

Yes.......seems like there should be a duffle bag or backpack or something...but where?

[Nut44x4]

Gwinnett Police Try to ID Human Remains
Updated: Monday, 14 Dec 2009, 6:37 PM EST

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. (MyFOX ATLANTA) - Gwinnett County investigators said Monday that a body found in Gwinnett County may be that of a teenage girl. Investigators said they hope evidence found at the scene will help identify the victim.

The skeletal remains were found Dec. 6, off Forest Vale Drive in an unincorporated area of Norcross.

An autopsy determined the remains belong to a female, around 5'2" tall, who was 15 to 21-years-old.

Anyone with information on the woman's identity is asked to contact Gwinnett County police.
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/gwinnett_police_try_to_id_human_remains_121409

video at link

[Tracygirl]

General vicinity
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl&q=Forest%20Vale%20Drive%20norcross%20ga

Geezeee, I did a SAT on it and zoomed in. Lot's of homes around. Nobody smelled anything??

I wonder that too..Also where you zoomed into seems to be right on someone's property. Maybe they just dumped it? Strange. 

[Lovinlife]

Could this be Alisha Lynn Kirby?

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=1120604&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US

Aprox 20 miles from Conyers, GA

[Nut44x4]

Yup.... possibly.

Here are a few more near the area that I have my eye on.....

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=1135376&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=1132407&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=1136512&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=1126063&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US

They have not stated a 'race'. That makes it more difficult to pinpoint.

[Nut44x4]

There are a ton missing in GA. I filtered out the closest to Norcross. That doesn't mean much though. It could be anyone, from anywhere.

[Lovinlife]

There are a ton missing in GA. I filtered out the closest to Norcross. That doesn't mean much though. It could be anyone, from anywhere.

May God rest her soul.

[Lovinlife]

http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=138774&catid=3

Gwinnett Police Seek Identity of Possible Murder Victim
Updated 12/15/2009 10:59:33 PM

Gwinnett County-- She could be as young as 15-years-old, and she may be the victim of murder. Right now, Gwinnett Police don't know how she was killed.

They don't even know her name.

Detectives are hoping clothes found around skeletal remains found December 6th in a wooded area of Norcross will lead them to a name.

Jubentino Boyzo found the remains while walking his dog. He says what was left of the body was partially stuffed in a laundry bag.

"It was covered with leaves and sand and the laundry bag," says Boyzo. "I only see part of the bone and when I see pants and underwear, I (knew) it must be human bones."

Detectives working the case have reason to believe the young woman found here could be the victim of murder.

"It's an aspect of the investigation we can't get into at this point and time," says Gwinnett Police Spokesman Officer Brian Kelly. "There's enough circumstance around where the remains were found and the condition of the remains that led them (detectives) to believe found play was definitely involved."

The medical examiner believes the remains belong to a young woman approximately 5'2" between the ages of 15 and 21.

With the remains, detectives found several changes of clothes. There were boxer shorts, American Eagle jeans, sweat pants with maroon and gold stripes, and a leopard print bra.

"Investigators are working tirelessly to determine who this is," says Officer Kelly. "It's something they're taking very personally."

Detectives are reviewing missing persons files as well as reports of runaway juveniles.

Anyone with information is asked to call Gwinnett Police at 770-513-5300, or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477. There could be a monetary reward of up to $2,000.

[Tracygirl]

Snipped:
He says what was left of the body was partially stuffed in a laundry bag.

So does this mean that the body was dismembered and missing parts? Oh god I hope not. If she wsa found in a laundry bag, the cloths may not all be hers? This is a horrible story.

[Nut44x4]

Excellent point Tracyg ... re: laundry bag/clothes may not all be hers!! I hadn't thought of that...something to ponder!

[Nut44x4]

Police: Skeletal remains of 16-year-old girl

Gwinnett police detectives have identified the skeletal remains of a young girl found Sunday in an unincorporated area near Norcross.

The remains are of 16-year-old girl Maritza Yepez. She was identified through dental records.

“Prior to this occasion, she had an established history of leaving her residence, often for days at a time,” said Brian Kelly, spokesman for Gwinnett County police. “The last anyone has had contact with her was on August 23rd.”

Sunday an area resident was walking his dog in a wooded area behind the 6900 block of Forest Vale Drive when his dog discovered the remains.

Investigators were called to the scene and made the determination that the remains were indeed human.

Police suspect foul play and are actively working to piece together the last days and hours of Yepez’s life, said Kelly. Her last known place of residence was with her aunt in the Lawrenceville area.

Anyone with information about this incident or knowledge of Yepez are asked to call Gwinnett County Police at 770-513-5300. Information can also be relayed through Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477). Anonymous tips are welcome and could lead to a monetary reward of up to $2,000.

http://www.ajc.com/news/police-skeletal-remains-of-244265.html

[Nut44x4]

 
This is sad......it is dated Dec. 9th

iReport —
hi, my name is laura olvera and l would like to ask the people for help, my daugher is missing since august 28 of this year, she is 16 years old, her name is maritza yepez and no body knows nothing l already made a police report but they dont do nothing, l dont know if is because we`r mexicans, l called time after time but nothing, l leaved a message but is not calls back, please, please help me......
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-366996

[Tracygirl]

This is sad......it is dated Dec. 9th

iReport —
hi, my name is laura olvera and l would like to ask the people for help, my daugher is missing since august 28 of this year, she is 16 years old, her name is maritza yepez and no body knows nothing l already made a police report but they dont do nothing, l dont know if is because we`r mexicans, l called time after time but nothing, l leaved a message but is not calls back, please, please help me......
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-366996

How sad...what a beautiful young girl she was. It is simply terrible she met her fate in this way. My heart goes out to her family.

[Nut44x4]

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 19, 2010 Tuesday

Teen's slaying baffles family;
Gwinnett police have no suspects in death.;
Aunt found signs of trouble after Berkmar student disappeared.

Even before she disappeared, there were signs that something was troubling 16-year-old Maritza Yepez.

When she didn't return home from an outing to the movies in August, relatives fretted that she had run away. No one realized just how serious her problems had become until a Norcross man who was walking his dog stumbled upon her badly decomposed remains in a wooded area Dec. 6.

Maritza's death was ruled an act of homicidal violence, but investigators have not released the cause of death.

"They have interviewed every known associate to the victim," said a Gwinnett County police spokesman, Cpl. David Schiralli. "We're still actively investigating it, following up on some leads. We have no list of suspects at this time."

Photographs of Maritza show a beautiful teenager with a winning smile. Family members said she was a sweet girl with a fiercely independent streak. She was open at home and school about being a lesbian, according to her aunt, Alma Olvera, and a 17-year-old friend, George Reyes.

"She is one of those girls who will say what she means," Olvera said. "Really independent."

But Maritza's grin masked bouts of depression and loneliness. Born in Texas and raised in Georgia, Maritza chose to remain behind two years ago when her mother and four siblings returned to Mexico.

Olvera, 39, and her husband agreed to raise their niece along with their own four children, who range in age from 4 to 17. Maritza was determined to finish high school at Berkmar, Olvera said.

Reyes, a classmate, said Maritza experimented with drugs last year and dropped out during the spring semester. But over the summer she vowed to turn her life around. She re-enrolled in school and was attending classes regularly, Reyes said.

Nothing seemed amiss on Aug. 23 when Maritza texted her aunt to ask permission to go to the movies with a friend. But the teenager never returned home. Olvera said Maritza had left home before, but she usually would answer her phone and return a few days later.

This time was different.

Messages left on Maritza's cellphone by both Olvera and her mother in Mexico went unanswered. Maritza also left behind her purse, her ID, her makeup and nearly all her possessions. Olvera filed a missing person report and hoped her niece would turn up soon.

Her concerns mounted when, while looking through Maritza's things one day, Olvera stumbled upon something chilling. It was a memory card containing some strange photographs that Maritza had taken of herself, as if to document some unknown offense. The photographs depicted Maritza's arms and legs, mottled with bruises.

"I don't know how, but she took those pictures of herself," Olvera said. "I didn't know about the bruises."

In November, Olvera and her family moved from Lawrenceville to Alpharetta. But they held out hope of Maritza's return.

They boxed up the teenager's belongings and kept them stored at the new apartment.

Then on Dec. 17 Olvera saw a television news report about the discovery of unidentified female remains in Norcross. Along with the body, police said they found several articles of clothing --- some of it muddy, tattered and bloodstained.

"When I saw that, my heart went crazy," Olvera said. "I had a feeling that was my niece."

A comparison of dental records confirmed the family's worst fears.

Reyes said Maritza would want her loved ones to move on and make the best of things.

But it's difficult to shrug off such a senseless death.

"It just saddens me that someone could actually be that cruel and heartless to someone," Reyes said.

Maritza's birthday, which she shared with an uncle, was Dec. 28. The family used to celebrate with a special dinner and two birthday cakes. This year, though, relatives were so upset that "we didn't feel like doing or saying anything," Olvera said.

Maritza would have been 17.
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100020825&docId=l:1110494277&start=10