From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Toddler's death ruled homicide
By Mike Wereschagin
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, February 5, 2007
The death of Nyia Miangel Page, the
23-month-old girl whose body was found in Rankin following a two-day search, was
a homicide, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office said today.
Following an autopsy today, the office ruled that the Braddock girl died of
hypothermia and exposure.
Nyia was found about 3:30 p.m. Sunday along the
southeastern slope of the Hawkins Village public housing project. She was last
seen alive by several family members about 12:30 a.m. Saturday. Family members
reported her missing about seven hours later, said county police Superintendent
Charles Moffatt.
"Our main focus at that time was finding the child,"
Moffatt said. An "Amber Alert" was issued shortly afterward, and was
discontinued a few hours after the baby's body was discovered the next day. "We
waited for the autopsy, and got the manner of death in the last two hours. We're
now treating it as a homicide."
Police interviewed family members, but
Moffatt said they do not have a suspect.
Mike Wereschagin can be reached at mwereschagin@tribweb.com or (412)
391-0927.
They do have a suspect now, though--her own father. From http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07039/760411-56.stm:
Braddock toddler's father charged in her death
Thursday, February 08,
2007
By Moustafa Ayad, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
William Lorenzo Page of
Braddock was charged last night with criminal homicide in the death of his
23-month-old daughter, Nyia, whose body was found Sunday in a wooded area in
freezing temperatures and wearing only a sweater and a diaper.
Mr. Page, 23, was already in jail awaiting a hearing on
charges of abusing another child.
The homicide charge against Mr. Page
culminates a three-day investigation by the FBI and police from Allegheny
County, Braddock and Rankin, said Allegheny County police Supt. James Morton.
Mr. Page also is charged with kidnapping, making false reports to law
enforcement and simple assault.
The toddler was reported missing from her
Braddock home after her 6-year-old brother told his parents about 7:30 a.m.
Saturday that she wasn't in her normal sleeping area. Family members called
police when they couldn't find her, setting off an Amber Alert and a search by
70 police officers and rescue workers.
On Saturday, volunteers joined police
using dogs on a bitter cold day to search streets, railroad tracks, abandoned
buildings and trash bins for the little girl, who was about 2 feet tall and
weighed 30 pounds.
Searchers discovered her body about noon on Sunday about
four blocks from her home, in a hilly wooded area along Pattison Avenue in
Rankin. A few hours later, the Allegheny County medical examiner's office
determined the body was that of Nyia.
Mr. Page had been jailed since Sunday
on charges of simple and indecent assault of another child, endangering the
welfare of children and corruption of minors. Police said they learned about
that incident during the investigation of the missing toddler.
He was being
held on $25,000 bond, pending a hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
From the
beginning, police said the site where the body was found would have been too
difficult for the toddler to get to by herself, leading them to suspect foul
play. The medical examiner ruled she died of exposure and hypothermia and listed
the manner of death as homicide.
The full history of Nyia's case can also be read on the Crime Library at http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/0207/1202_nyia_page.html. It does contain a detailed, heartbreaking description of how she died, so you may have think carefully about whether you want to read it.
She wouldn't listen to her father when he told her to go back to bed, but she did not deserve to die for it! Hopefully little Nyia will get justice soon.
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