The following has been released by the Evansville Police Department concerning the Aleah Beckerle Missing Person Case:
One of Evansville’s most vulnerable and helpless people, Aleah Beckerle, went missing from her home last July under suspicious circumstances. Aleah was a 19 year-old handicapped woman who was totally dependent on others for her care and well-being. Due to her disabilities, the circumstances of her disappearance led investigators to believe that foul play had occurred.
Since Aleah went missing, countless resources, searches, and hours of investigation have been devoted in a constant effort to locate her. Aleah’s disappearance has captured the hearts of many and has resulted in nation-wide exposure.
On Monday, March 27th, the Evansville Police department responded to a call that a body was found in a vacant house located at 1628 South Bedford Avenue. Officers arrived and confirmed the presence of a badly decomposed body.
The remains were recovered and taken to the Coroner’s Office where an autopsy was conducted this morning. The remains were identified as being Aleah.
This investigation has now taken on a new direction and focus. It is changed from an effort to locate a missing person to a homicide investigation. The EPD as well as all the other agencies and organizations that have helped, want to ensure that the individual(s) responsible for Aleah’s death are brought to justice and held accountable for this horrific act.
We are confident that the house in which Aleah was found will yield new clues and evidence to follow up on, but we are still asking for the public’s assistance in providing information about the investigation. This is not the conclusion of the case, it is a new beginning.
We would like to thank all of those people who have provided tips and information and we would like to express our gratitude to the FBI, The National Center on Missing and Exploited Children, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, the Emergency Management Agency, as well as all the other civic and volunteer organizations that have provided so many valuable resources.
If anyone has knowledge about this crime, they are asked to call the Evansville Police Department at 436-7979 or the WeTip line at 1-800-78-CRIME.