Up to $10K reward offered by FBI for info in murder of teen

HAMMOND, Ind. (Sun-Times Media Wire) - The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information about the murder of a 13-year-old Hammond, Indiana girl more than a decade ago.

Alexandra “Alex” Anaya’s dismembered body was found in the Little Calumet River three days after the teen disappeared from her home in Hammond on Aug. 13, 2005, the Chicago Sun-Times previously reported.

On Monday — the 13th anniversary of her disappearance — the FBI announced it was offering the reward for information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the unsolved killing, according to a statement from the FBI and Chicago Police.

Chicago and Hammond police asked for the FBI’s help in finding her killer in 2016.

Anaya was last seen by her mother about 4:30 a.m. the day she went missing, the FBI said. At the time, Anaya was wearing a gold chain with a round, religious medallion.

“We believe Alex knew her assailant and her death was not a random act of violence,” Jeffrey Sallet, special agent-in-charge of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, said in the statement. “We are confident there is someone out there who knows what happened to Alex.

“We hope that in the time that has since passed that someone will find the courage to come forward now. With the help of the public, we truly feel we will bring Alex’s murderer to justice.”

The FBI urged anyone with information to contact the Chicago Field Office at (312) 421-6700, or reach out to the nearest American embassy or consulate.