"Tempe Girl" was the nickname given to a teenager who died of a cocaine overdose in Tempe, Arizona, in 2002. Her body was dumped behind a strip mall shortly after her death.
She is currently undergoing testing by the DNA Doe Project.
Case[]
The decedent was discovered behind a strip mall in Tempe, Arizona, on April 27, 2002.
A compact disc discovered close to her body had fingerprints on it, which belonged to a woman who lived in Phoenix, Arizona. Investigators went to interview the woman, who claimed she had no knowledge of the decedent, but her boyfriend had observed the girl hitchhiking near 32nd Street and Greenway Road in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 26, 2002. He offered her a ride to her intended destination of Tempe, Arizona. She had also expressed interest in purchasing tickets for an upcoming music concert.
The decedent spoke in Spanish while she was in the vehicle and stated she was recently disowned for her drug use by her family and expelled from her household.
Apart from the driver, a second person, a drug dealer, was picked up in the vehicle. The decedent decided to spend her money on cocaine from the drug dealer instead of purchasing tickets to the upcoming concert as she had originally intended.
Along the way, she used cocaine and had a negative reaction to the drug. She began to have a seizure, and the driver pulled her out of the car, leaving her behind a strip mall. The driver then informed the drug dealer to call the police at a nearby gas station and left the scene. However, her body was not discovered until 5:40 am the next morning.
Due to the circumstances described by the driver of the vehicle, her death was not ruled a homicide or accident. No charges were filed in relation to her death.
Characteristics[]
- Brown eyes.
- Straight, black, 12 to 12.5-inch long hair.
- Two noticeable scars: one on the back of her left hand in the shape of a "T" and one on the top of her left shoulder.
- Her nails were painted with faded purple nail polish.
- She possibly spoke Spanish.
Clothing and accessories[]
- Red halter top.
- Watch L.A. brand blue jeans with a side zipper and eyelets on the waistband.
- Blue underwear.
- One Lower Eastside black slip-on dress shoe, size 6.5, with a 3-inch wedge heel.
- Purple elastic hair tie was on her right wrist.
Exclusions[]
- Alissa Turney
- Veronica Martinez
- Maria Mauricio
- Florinda Lopez
- Yuliana Escudero
- Leanne Hausberg
Gallery[]
Sources[]
- Tempe Girl at the Doe NetworkPOSTMORTEM WARNING
- Tempe Girl at NamUs POSTMORTEM WARNING
- Tempe Girl at NCMEC
- Tempe Girl at the Maricopa County Medical Examiner
- Tempe Girl at the DNA Doe Project
- AZ Central
- CNN