Arrests Made in 'The Boy in the Bag' Cold Case

After 11 years, Philadelphia police say they have solved the case of "The Boy in The Bag" -- identifying the four-year-old boy whose badly beaten and decomposed body was found in a duffle bag at a vacant lot May 27, 1994 and arresting his mother and a former boyfriend for murder.

Officials said Jerell Willis was beaten to death by his mother, Alicia Willis Robinson, 32, and Lawrence Robinson, 35, in January 1994 in their Camden, NJ apartment. They wrapped his body in old sheets, placed it in a duffel bag and took a bus to Philadelphia and left the bag in a vacant lot near the Ben Franklin Bridge.

Jerell's badly decomposed body was not found until five months later, making the identification difficult. Forensic artist Frank Bender created a facial reconstruction of the boy and police contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for help in trying to identify the boy. The case has been featured on national television programs.

Police got a break in the case when a man recently returned to the Camden area and began asking about his nephew and became suspicious when he could not find any information about the boy. He searched the web site of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and found a picture of the bust Bender constructed.

He told police he believed the boy in the duffel bag was his nephew, setting off the investigation that lead to the charges against the Robinsons.

See Also:
Cops: Mom, Lover Killed 'Boy in the Bag' in '94
Parents Charged With Son's Death 11 Years After Remains Found