This week marks a somber anniversary - two years since the search began in Ansonia for a missing 1-year-old girl.

Vanessa Morales turned 3 in September -- a birthday she should've celebrated with her family, but instead the Ansonia toddler is still missing two years later.

Lt. Patrick Lynch says potential leads and sightings have taken investigators across the country, but they still don't know where Morales is.

"It's really frustrating, extremely frustrating," Lynch says. "The problem is we have no idea. We were working at a deficit to begin with based on the timeline. We were working probably close to two days behind."

Police got involved Dec. 2 2019 for a welfare check and discovered Morales' mother, Christine Holloway, beaten to death in their home. The toddler was nowhere to be found.

Family members had last had contact with them Nov. 29.

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Police soon arrested the child's father, Jose Morales, in Holloway's murder. Morales was also named a suspect in his daughter's kidnapping.

"We believe he was at least one of the last two people to be with her," says Lynch. "In the initial stages, there were several interviews done with him. But after the arrest and with the ongoing criminal prosecution, we haven't spoken to him. That's something him and his attorney would have to initiate for us."

Photos of Vanessa Morales and Holloway are still up on a utility pole where a memorial once was. They've since faded, but police say their resolve hasn't.

"These are the kinds of cases that you don't forget," says Lynch.

In January, police were optimistic an age-enhanced image of Vanessa Morales might lead to answers. They say they haven't given up.

"We will continue to do whatever we need to do to bring resolution to the family and hopefully bring them some closure," Lynch says.

There is still a $10,000 reward through the FBI for information leading to the girl's return.

Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call Ansonia police at 203-735-1885 or the FBI at 1-800-225-5324. 

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