Artistic renderings of the victim; Victim's hair band; Towel and cooler victim located in.
Artistic renderings of the victim; Victim's hair band; Towel and cooler victim located in.
Date of Discovery: July 23, 1991
Location of Discovery: New York City, New York
Estimated Date of Death: Around July 18, 1991
State of Remains: Decomposing
Cause of Death: Homicide by asphyxiation
Estimated Age: 3-5 years old
Race: Hispanic
Gender: Female
Height: 3'2"
Weight: 30 lbs.
Hair Color: Black, long and wavy, worn in a ponytail.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: X-rays revealed she had no history of broken bones. She was malnourished.
Dentals: Her front teeth were prominent. The child had kept all of her baby teeth and there was no evidence she ever had dental work.
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Unknown
Clothing: None
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Light green linen cloth.
The child's body was located in a park bordering the southbound lane of the Henry Hudson Parkway, near the Dyckman Street exit just north of the George Washington Bridge in the upper Manhattan area.
She was wrapped in a black plastic garbage bag and stuffed in a blue 30-quart Igloo ice cooler. Police believe she would have possibly been dumped no earlier then July 18th with 10 days added as an error margin. She had been asphyxiated and there was evidence of sexual abuse.
The cooler was located in a patch of woods on an embankment sloping down at a 45-degree angle from the highway to the Hudson River. The child was in a crouched position with her head resting on her knees. There were no signs of bruises or wounds. She was bound with a medium-weight ligature which was half rope and half venetian-blind cord. She was placed into the cooler just shortly after death.
Inside the container was full unopened coke cans and liquid believed to have been melted ice. A witness told police that while passing in a car on the Henry Hudson Parkway, she observed a well-dressed couple carrying a picnic cooler nine days before the body was found.
Police believe they may be looking for a male/female relationship of either a girlfriend/boyfriend, husband/wife.
In October of that year a batch of pornographic Polaroids of a girl with similar description were found on Route 46 in northern New Jersey, not far from the George Washington Bridge.
In 2013, the child was identified as Anjelica Castillo. She had been abused and murdered by her 30-year-old cousin, who was charged with felony murder.
Agency Name: New York City Police Department
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 212-927-0823
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: Unknown
NCIC Case Number: U506106414
NamUs Case Number: Unknown
Wikipedia: Murder of Anjelica Castillo
NCMEC
New York City Police Department
New York Daily News Archive
America's Most Wanted
Unsolved Myteries (edited by Rose G. Mandelsberg
True Detective Magazine
Added: Prior to 2011; Last Updated: 12/6/17
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information may be estimated.
Return Home