Cold case investigators working on the disappearance of Jessica Delgadillo, a Texas teenager who went missing in 2010 at the age of 14, received a surprising phone call from a woman claiming to be her. Jessica’s family had reported her missing and authorities had investigated for a decade without success. The case was revisited when a new Cold Case Unit was formed in 2023 by the Amarillo Police Department, which selected her case along with two others for further investigation. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children assisted the detectives in searching for Jessica by sharing information on social media.
In November, detectives were contacted by a woman claiming to be Jessica Delgadillo and living on the East Coast. DNA swabs were collected to confirm her identity, and it was indeed her. Jessica requested that authorities not disclose how she had ended up where she was or her experiences during the time she was missing. Despite this, the case was finally closed, bringing closure to her family and ending a long-standing mystery. The investigation had come full circle after many years, and while details of Jessica’s story remained private, her safe return brought relief to those who had searched for her.
The cold case investigators were able to solve a decades-old mystery with the identification of a woman whose body was found down an embankment in California 38 years ago. The woman had remained unidentified until recently, when advances in forensic technology allowed her to be positively identified. Similarly, a body found months after a 19-year-old woman went missing in Oklahoma has resulted in answers for her family, who had been searching for her for years. The discovery of her remains provided closure to her loved ones who had long awaited news of her whereabouts.
In a separate case, a middle school teacher in Texas was accused of raping a 14-year-old girl after a video surfaced that appeared to show the incident. The teacher was arrested and charged with the crime, highlighting the importance of thorough investigations in cases of potential abuse or exploitation. Additionally, in Pennsylvania, a woman was killed by her estranged husband who had reportedly taken an Uber to her house and snuck in to commit the crime. The tragic incident underscores the prevalence of domestic violence and the need for support for victims in dangerous situations.
The resolution of Jessica Delgadillo’s case serves as a reminder of the importance of continued efforts by law enforcement to solve cold cases and bring closure to families of missing persons. The collaboration between authorities and organizations such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children can be instrumental in resuming investigations that may have gone cold over time. While the details of Jessica’s story remain private, the fact that she was found safe and alive after a decade brings hope to others searching for missing loved ones. The identification of individuals in other cold cases shows the significance of advancements in forensic technology and the dedication of law enforcement in solving mysteries that have lingered for many years.
