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PHOENIX - Police remain tight-lipped with no real updates, calling this an ongoing investigation. The mystery remains: how did Zariah Dodd get from a group home in Surprise to a park in Maryvale, where she was found shot and killed?
"Surprised that you called my family here to do this, but ain’t no faith there," said Sylquayn Bernard, Zariah's father, as he struggles to stay optimistic, hoping his daughter gets justice.
What they're saying:
The pregnant teen was found dead with a gunshot wound at Marivue Park in Phoenix on the morning of July 5 near 55th Avenue and Osborn Road. Bernard said, "I don’t believe she was murdered there. I believe she was dumped there."
In the Phoenix Police Department’s media advisory, officials initially listed the victim as an adult woman.
"They had stated it was a 20-year-old woman found in the park. They hadn’t mentioned anything about pregnancy. It was just a 20-year-old woman found in the park," Bernard recalled.
The backstory:
However, the case report number provided to FOX 10 by Phoenix PD matches the same case number given to Zariah’s family. Zariah was 16 years old and reportedly left Sunshine Residential in Surprise near Cactus and Litchfield Roads at 8 p.m. on July 4, telling staff she was going for a walk. Sunshine called the police just after midnight on the 5th, and her body was discovered later that morning in Phoenix.
Who killed Zariah Dodd? Pregnant 16-year-old left Surprise group home, found shot and killed at Phoenix park
A pregnant teen was found dead at a park after she went missing from a group home in Surprise. Her family speaks to FOX 10 investigator Justin Lum about how this tragedy happened.
Her uncle, Erik Polk, says her family tried to get custody of her after she had lived in numerous group homes but were met with challenges by the Department of Child Safety.
"All we’ve ever wanted to do is get Zariah, raise her and make sure she was a productive citizen out here," Polk said.
Why you should care:
He is also raising broader concerns about the system.
"I’m glad you guys are picking up the story because, again, this is her story, but this is many other stories that are happening to these kids and these teens that are not being watched after. How in the hell does a 16-year-old get pregnant in the system?"
A spokesperson for Sunshine Residential Homes says law enforcement and DCS were notified "promptly" once she didn’t return. Zariah’s family feels this could have been prevented. Questions remain: who was she last with? Why was she shot and killed? And who abandoned her body at the park?
"They take a beautiful soul away. They took someone who had survivor mentality and wasn’t really capable and able to really fully be a kid," Polk said.
Zariah and her unborn baby, Zaloni, will be laid to rest on Aug. 2.
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What you can do:
If you have any information about this case, call Silent Witness. You can remain anonymous and receive a cash award for tips leading to an arrest or indictment.
TIP LINE: (480) WITNESS
Map of the Marivue Park area