Young Child's Murder Rocks Philadelphia

Victims of crimes and their families know that there's no such thing as too much attention focused on their case. No one knows this better than Mota DeJesus, the mother of 5-year-old murder victim Iriana DeJesus. On July 29, 2000, Iriana was raped, murdered, and discarded like trash in her neighborhood, a rough section of North Philadelphia known as "The Badlands." Police say DNA at the crime scene eventually linked Alexis Flores to the gruesome murder. By the time the results had come back, Flores was long gone. Mota has taken it upon herself year after year to keep Iriana's memory alive, and to remind anyone who will listen that her family is still without justice. Every July 29, Mota hosts a memorial service in her community. It's a celebration of Iriana's short life and remarkable spirit. It's also a chance to gather as many people as possible to remind them of Iriana's tragedy. Typically, Mota has a cookout and candlelight vigil on the anniversary. On the hot summer evening of July 29, 2000, police say little Iriana was out and about, riding her bike and having fun with her sister, Ayana. While her kids played, Mota went to pick up some food she'd ordered across the street. According to police, Mota was only gone a few minutes  but when she returned, Iriana was nowhere to be found. For days, the community rallied together, hopeful that police would soon find the precious young girl. But when the badly decomposed body of a child was found in an empty Philadelphia apartment building on August 3, 2000, the tight-knit neighborhood's worst fears were confirmed. The body was Iriana's.