Five weeks after naming a former Hartford police officer as the suspect in the decapitation of his
ex-girlfriend and disappearance of their daughter, law officers are starting their biggest push yet to
find the little girl.

The case has haunted investigators since the headless, handless body of the mother, Rosa Delgado,
21, floated to the surface of a remote New Jersey lake three years ago, on Nov. 26, 1997.

Rosita Camacho, 4˝ when she disappeared with her mother from a street corner in Hartford's
Parkville neighborhood on Oct. 24, 1997, has vanished without a trace.

Starting Wednesday, all of the Parkville and Frog Hollow neighborhoods along Park Street will be
reminded that a little girl is still unaccounted for.

Three billboards will be posted announcing the $20,000 reward for information on Rosita, and giving a
confidential tipline, 800-435-1284.

Two boards, one in English, the other in Spanish, will rise at 1850 Park St.; the third, in English, will
go up at Park and Broad streets. The billboards are timed to take advantage of the bustle and the
spirit of Thanksgiving, as well as marking the third anniversary of the discovery of Delgado's body.

The public outreach is the first volley in an all-out blitz to solve the case by a 10-member task force
of city, state and federal officers.

The squad will run down any leads from the billboards and try to find a link between the
disappearances and a wire garrote and hatchet found during a November 1998 raid at the home of
the prime suspect, former Hartford police Officer Julio Camacho.

Camacho is being held without bail on unrelated sexual-assault charges and has not been charged in
the Delgado murder or the disappearance of Rosita.

The officers, who began working together two years ago to probe corruption in the Hartford police
force, say they want nothing more than to discover that Rosita, who would now be 7 years old, has
been hidden away by people sympathetic to Delgado's killer.

But squad members say they also are prepared for the worst. A public appeal for information on
Rosita in the Puerto Rican cities of Yabucoa and Humacao, where Camacho has relatives, yielded only
false sightings and more frustration.

``Every time we look at the picture of this little girl, it grates on each one of us - especially when
you think about the horrible way her mother died,'' said FBI Supervisory Special Agent Michael Clark.

"We're going to exhaust every possible lead and spare no expense - this case needs closure,'' Clark
said.

Law officers already searched for Rosita in and around Columbia Lake in northern New Jersey, where
Delgado's body was found. Clark said New Jersey State Police are ready to look again if new
information suggests Rosita's body is there.

The squad of FBI agents, Hartford police officers, and state's attorney's inspectors has investigated
the case, off and on, for two years. A reward for information about Rosita was first offered in May
1999. The billboards mark the beginning of the most concerted effort in the investigation, Clark said.

"This is a sad case,'' said Frog Hollow neighborhood activist Jose Martinez, vice president of Hartford
Area Rallies Together. "At the beginning, there was much concern, but after three years, people need
to be reminded. I hope, for the sake of the family of the mother and the little girl, and even for the
father, if he didn't do it, that the billboards work.''

"Hopefully, the billboards play on someone - and they know something,'' said Oscar Rivera, Rosa
Delgado's brother-in-law. "It feels good to know this investigation never died.''

Camacho is one of seven former Hartford officers indicted in the past year for on-duty sexual crimes.

Last month, in arguing that Camacho be held without bail, federal prosecutor James Glasser told the
judge that investigators have a circumstantial case that ties Camacho to Delgado's murder, but were
not yet ready to charge him.

During the 1998 raid on Camacho's home in Cromwell, officers found that the fabric liner of Camacho's
car trunk was missing and the floor of the trunk was sanded down to shiny metal. But no blood or
other forensic evidence was found in the trunk, or on the garrote or the hand-made hatchet, which
was so clean, one law officer said, that it glistened in the sun.

Table of Contents

Bailey announces $100,000 in reward..., Ishtar93, 06:57 PM, Dec-06-00
Hi Ishtar, jams, 10:26 PM, Dec-08-00
Rosita a.k.a. Rose Marie Camacho ..., LadyBug, 04:09 AM, Dec-09-00
Rosita, Ishtar93, 08:59 PM, Dec-09-00
Rosa a.k.a Rosita , LadyBug, 01:01 AM, Dec-10-00

Messages in this discussion

1 . "Bailey announces $100,000 in reward money for mother's murder, missing girl "
Posted by Ishtar93 on Dec-06-00 at 06:57 PM (EST)

Bailey announces $100,000 in reward money for mother's murder, missing girl
By Associated Press, 12/6/2000 17:25
ROCKY HILL, Conn. (AP) The state of Connecticut and the FBI are offering a total of $100,000 in
reward money for information in the case of a murdered Hartford woman and her missing daughter.

Both Gov. John G. Rowland and the FBI have each authorized a $50,000 reward for leads in the case
of Rosa Delgado and her daughter, Rosita Camacho, Chief State's Attorney John M. Bailey said
Wednesday.

Both Delgado and Camacho were last seen in Hartford on Oct. 23, 1997.

Delgado's headless and handless corpse was found in November 1997 in New Jersey.

Camacho, who was four at the time of her disappearance, is still missing.

Bailey said the $100,000 in rewards will be publicized on billboards in Hartford. The billboards, which
already publicize the FBI's initial $20,000 reward, will be updated to reflect the new amount.

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/341/region/Bailey_announces_100_000_in_re:.shtml

2 . "Hi Ishtar"
Posted by jams on Dec-08-00 at 10:26 PM (EST)
Sad case - scary - - wonder where she is.

One favor - you put the link in the second post - - please put the links in all so others can go to
them. Sometimes there are related articles they might want to see.

Thanks.

3 . "Rosita a.k.a. Rose Marie Camacho ?"
Posted by LadyBug on Dec-09-00 at 04:09 AM (EST)
LAST EDITED ON Dec-09-00 AT 04:53 AM (EST)

Welcome Ishtar Many thanks for your careing and posting for missing children. Your help is greatly
appreciated.

Odd, there seems to be a mix up in this child's name. News reports Rosita and NCMEC fact sheet is
Rosa Marie. I will add photo in a new thread for Rosa Marie Camacho.

I would like to find out why the double I.D....
* Edit to change from Rose to Rosa ( I am unable to edit the title )

4 . "Rosita"
Posted by Ishtar93 on Dec-09-00 at 08:59 PM (EST)
Hi, Rosita is a common nickname for "Rosa" or "Rose" in spanish. It Means "litte Rosa".
I will try to remember posting the links:)
best wishes

5 . "Rosa a.k.a Rosita "
Posted by LadyBug on Dec-10-00 at 01:01 AM (EST)
Seems strange Rosa Marie Camacho is not allowed the privelege of her legal name in news articles,
especially given the fact her father, an ex policeman ( according to the article )is 'suspect'. Why did
they start using nicknames for missing children ? There is confusion enough. It would be quite
understandable if the entire article was written in Spanish.

I've never seen this done before and would think it important using legal name for medical or dental
records etc. Thanks Ishtar

DOB: June 7, 1993
Female Hair: Lt. Brown Eyes: Brown
Height: 3' 0" - 91 cm
Weight: 38 lbs - 17 kg
Age Now: 7 years
Case Number: 840287

Child and her mother were last seen leaving a store in the Hartford, Connecticut area on October 24, 1997.
Rosa Delgado, the child's mother, has since been found deceased but Rosa is still missing.

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT National Center for Missing & Exploited
Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)

Hartford Police Department (Connecticut)
1-860-527-6300