Family believe a missing girl is still alive seven years after finding her mum dead in the foetal position under a piece of plywood in a park.
The body of Nicole Fits, 32, was found in a San Francisco park in 2016. She was covered with a plywood plank police later came to believe was brought by whoever killed the woman to hide the remains.
Her daughter Arianna, who was two at the time, disappeared - but family believe she's alive and was brought up by someone else.
At the time she died, Nicole had been driven out of San Francisco by extortionate rents and had to commute from Santa Cruz for her job at Best Buy.
During the days she was in San Francisco and the nights she'd sleep on friends' sofas, while baby Arianna would be looked after by new babysitters, Helena and Devin Martin, at their home on Castro Street in Oakland.
Suspicions were raised on April 1 when a family member received a text saying she was going to Fresno with someone named Sam.
This was followed by a late night post on her Facebook page saying "Spending time with my 3 year old need this brake.”. Loved ones believe this wasn't posted by Nicole as Arianna wasn't yet three.
By April 5 family had grown so worried after not hearing from her they reported her missing. They also said they hadn't seen Arianna since February.
“Nicole Fitts received a phone call on April 1st 2016 at approximately 9:00 PM.,” an San Francisco Police Department missing poster read.
“That call lured Nicole out of her residence to ‘go meet the baby sitter.’ Nicole was never seen alive again.”
A week later her body was found, but there was no trace of Arianna.
“We do not have any evidence that shows that Arianna's status is anything but alive,” an San Francisco Police Department spokesperson told SFGATE.
Suspicions fell on the babysitters - Helena and Devin Martin - but no charges were ever brought against them.
A police commander previously told reporters Nicole had been trying to bring Arianna home at the time she was murdered.
Although the Martins initially cooperated with the police they gave inconsistent statements and eventually stopped helping.
“She always made sure whoever she was around was taken care of. She was bubbly and a really good person.”
Speaking to the SFGATE, the SFPD said: “Due to the open investigation we are not confirming any person who may be a person of interest or a suspect. The missing person investigation for Arianna Fitts remains an open investigation.”
They also urged anyone with information to get in touch at 415-575-4444 or text the tip to TIP41, starting that text with “SFPD.”
