Murder of Jaclyn Dowaliby
| Jaclyn Dowaliby | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Jaclyn Marie Dowaliby May 17, 1981 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Died | September 14, 1988 (aged 7) |
Cause of death | Murder |
Jaclyn Marie Dowaliby (May 17, 1981 - September 14, 1988) was an American seven-year-old girl who disappeared from her bedroom in the middle of the night. Her body was found five days later.
Disappearance
On 10 September 1988, seven-year-old Dowaliby was taken from her home in Midlothian, Illinois at some point in the middle of the night. The next morning, her mother, Cynthia Dowaliby reported her as a missing child, possibly an abduction. Police reportedly found a broken window, but it may have been a phony entry area as her adoptive father, David Dowaliby later recalled the back door left open.
The police investigation was below par as it is widely believed even in 2014 that the police failed to properly preserve the crime scene, thereby obstructing justice. Search parties were organized, but for five days, Dowaliby was nowhere to be found.
Death and legacy
On September 14, 1988, Dowaliby's body was found abandoned at a dump site six miles away from her home. An autopsy revealed she had been killed the night she went missing. Police suspected Cynthia and David. In 1990 they were put on trial for her murder. Cynthia was acquitted but David was convicted on eyewitness testimony which placed him at the scene where her body was found. In 1991, an appellate court overturned his conviction, ruling that there was no more evidence against him than there had been against Cynthia. Nobody else has been arrested or convicted for her murder.
As of February 2015, almost 27 years later, no one else has been arrested in connection with Dowaliby's murder. Her killer remains a mystery.
Gone in the Night
In 1996, a television film was released, entitled Gone in the Night. It was based on Dowaliby's disappearance and murder, and starred Kevin Dillon and Shannen Doherty as David and Cynthia.