For 22 years New York police have been stumped by the murder of a four-year-old girl who until recently was known as "Baby Hope." The child's remains were found in a cooler that was left on the side of a Manhattan highway. The girl identified last week as Anjelica Castillo was discovered in 1991 folded, naked and tied up with a rope. District Attorney Melissa Mourges told a judge the girl had semen on her body. Conrado Juarez is currently facing charges for the rape and murder of "Baby hope." He was arrested last month and is a cousin of the child's father.
On the anniversary of the discovery of Castillo's remains policed asked anyone with information to phone in tips. Detectives were led to the girl's mother who had left Castillo and her sister with their biological father. The father than left the two girls with his relatives, among whom was Juarez. When police first questioned then arrested Juarez he told them a series of stories first about how he unknowingly helped get rid of the body then about how he killed the child. Juarez told police he sexually abused the four-year-old then smothered her.
Juarez's lawyer, Michael Croce is fighting the confessions use in court saying, "This alleged confession is completely suspect." Juarez pled not guilty to raping and murdering the little girl during a hearing on Thursday. Police questioned Juarez on Oct. 11 and the former kitchen worker gave four versions of what happened to his young cousin. First Juarez tried to blame his sister saying she called him in a panic one-night begging for help. Juarez said he got to the Astoria apartment the cooler the child was packed in was closed and ready to go.
Juarez said he and his sister deposed of the cooler and he had no idea Anjelica was inside. In the next version Juarez came home to discover the girl was dead. In a third tail the man attempted to rape his cousin but was too drunk to perform the act. Finally after having been interrogated all night Juarez admitted he raped and smothered the four-year-old with a pillow. Construction workers discovered Anjelica Castillo in July of 1991 buried under soda cans inside of the cooler.
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