Young Mom Found Murdered In Illinois Apartment, Cops Search For Missing Infant

The cops appealed for public help to locate a missing 1-year-old girl Wednesday, after the child's mother was found murdered in an Illinois apartment.

Investigators found the body of 21-year-old Ja’nya Murphy at her apartment in Wheeling on Tuesday, where the mother lived with her 1-year-old baby daughter, Jaclyn "Angel" Dobbs.

"An ensuing check for well-being revealed Ms. Murphy had apparently been murdered and Angel to be missing," Wheeling police said in a news release.

Cops responded to the crime scene after concerned family members reportedly were unable to contact Murphy since the previous day and she had also not reported to work. Deputies were able to access the balcony of her apartment with the help of officers from the fire department.

The patio door was unlocked and Murphy was found dead inside the apartment while her baby was missing, the cops said.

The forensic officers are investigating the scene and there was no surveillance video in the house, Wheeling Deputy Police Chief Al Steffen said. No arrests have been made so far and no history of police service was found at the residence. However, Steffen said Murphy was “targeted” and "every indication is that it was a homicide," Chicago Tribune reported.

“This is horrible, horrible for the family. Horrible for this promising young life," he told the outlet.

The child's disappearance is being investigated as a possible case of kidnapping. However, authorities do not have enough information to issue an AMBER Alert just yet, including details like who the child might be with or the vehicle she might have been taken in, NBC Chicago reported.

"We are looking to try and uncover any leads and are asking for the public’s help in trying to find Angel and reunite her with the rest of her family," Steffen said, as per Chicago Tribune.

Anyone with information about the missing girl or any leads regarding the case has been asked to contact the police at 847-459-2632.