Nearly two decades after 13-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Anaya vanished from her Hammond home, investigators are still searching for the person responsible for one of northwest Indiana’s most haunting unsolved murders.
The case began on August 13, 2005, when Alexandra’s mother last saw her daughter around 4:30 a.m. at their home on Pine Avenue. When she returned just a few hours later, Alexandra was gone.
Three days later, on August 16, boaters on the Little Calumet River discovered a female torso, chained, weighted, and deliberately wrapped. The remains were soon identified as Alexandra’s. Her head, arms, and legs were never recovered.
At first, police considered the possibility that the 13-year-old had run away. But as the investigation deepened, it became clear she was the victim of a brutal, premeditated murder. The FBI later joined the case, concluding that Alexandra likely knew her killer and that the act was not random.
Authorities have preserved DNA evidence and other forensic materials, and the case was reexamined in 2016 with updated technology. Despite these efforts, no one has been charged.
A person of interest, Rudolfo Heredia, Alexandra’s mother’s ex-boyfriend, had been accused of stalking both mother and daughter and was previously charged with molesting Alexandra. He was later acquitted of federal charges, and no further arrests were made.
In May 2023, the FBI increased the reward to $20,000 for information leading to a conviction in the case. Investigators hope the renewed attention will bring long-awaited answers for Alexandra’s family and the Hammond community.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI Chicago Field Office at (312) 421-6700 or the Hammond Police Department.