6 months later: Ansonia police say probe into toddler’s disappearance remains ‘very active’

Ansonia police say they are continuing to follow up on tips in the case. They believe Vanessa Morales is alive.

News 12 Staff

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Jun 2, 2020, 6:47 PM

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Updated 1,641 days ago

Tuesday marks six months since the start of a nationwide search to find Vanessa Morales – a 1-year-old who became the subject of an Amber alert after her mother was found killed.

Ansonia police say they are continuing to follow up on tips in the case. They believe Vanessa Morales is alive.

Police are reminding the public to be on the lookout for items that were used in her daily care and missing from her home – including a car seat, a blanket and a backpack that contained a diaper bag.

“Our goal is to find Vanessa and bring her home to her family,” says Lt. Patrick Lynch.

The search began on Dec. 2, 2019 when police found Vanessa's mother, Christine Holloway, beaten to death inside their home, and determined Vanessa had been taken.

Police later charged Vanessa's father, Jose Morales, with murder. Ansonia police say they believe Morales has information on his daughter's whereabouts but has not shared it with investigators.

There is still a $10,000 reward for information leading to Vanessa’s return.

Jodi Jacobellis, the toddler’s aunt, issued a statement to mark six months since the disappearance:

"To the person that has my niece Vanessa, please bring her back to us safely. Please bring her back to the family that loves her dearly and misses her every minute of every day."

Anyone with information about Vanessa’s disappearance can leave an anonymous tip at Tip411 or by calling the Ansonia police at 203-735-1885.

“It doesn’t matter whether you believe it’s inconsequential or not, we can make that determination,” said Lt. Lynch. “We’d rather go and look at something that doesn’t have anything to do with the case than miss something that could help us find Vanessa.”