GALVESTON — Robert Hodges didn’t think twice about buying the little pink dress for the girl he’ll never meet to wear to a funeral she may never have.

But he, like others across the country, has been thinking a lot about the little girl.

GCSO

It’s not yet certain whether a funeral will be held for the 2- to 3-year-old girl investigators named “ Baby Grace.” She was found entombed in a plastic storage trunk on an uninhabited island along the Intracoastal Waterway on Oct. 29.

News of the grim findings and investigators’ pleas for her identity made news internationally.

Although tips continue to pour in and the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office is investigating more than 280 leads, no one has claimed the girl’s body.

But many people have taken up her cause.

Galveston Crime Stoppers volunteer Gladys Jones said callers have offered money, given her support and shed tears over the case.

“This has opened the eyes of a lot of people who were sitting back and thinking the world was all cold,” she said. “Maybe that little angel was the one that was chosen to open our eyes. The community has come together a lot more than it has in a long time. I just hope the phones don’t stop ringing.”

Offers to pay for the funeral have come from as far away as New Jersey, sheriff’s office spokesman Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said.

Hodges, the manager of Palais Royal at 2711 61st St., said he bought the dress in hopes of giving the girl some of the dignity that death took from her.

“I think God just told me to do this,” he said. “I didn’t hesitate. Something was compelling me just to do it.”

But should a funeral happen, no one will ever see the brown velvet princess sleeves, pink sash or skirt with tiny gold dots. Investigators estimate that Baby Grace had been dead for at least two weeks when she was found. Any funeral would undoubtedly be closed casket.

Jay Carnes, owner of the Texas City funeral home, offered to cover the cost of the service and burial.

But investigators are still hoping someone will claim her and the community funeral won’t be necessary. Tuttoilmondo said that legally, Baby Grace’s body belongs to the medical examiner and can be kept as long as needed.

Hodges said the most troubling thing for him is that no one has stepped forward yet.

“I just can’t help thinking if it was my daughter,” he said. “How can someone not claim her? Anyone with a child can’t help but reflect on that.”

Jones said in the years she’s worked with Crime Stoppers, no other case has drawn as much outcry.

Investigators are unsure when a decision about the burial will be made, Tuttoilmondo said. But he said the offers of aid have firmed officers’ resolve to solve the case.

“To see that help coming from the community of the world, so to speak, you have a little bit more faith in humanity,” he said.

Anyone with information about Baby Grace or her death can call the sheriff’s office at 409-766-2222, the agency’s tip line at 866-248-8477 or any Crime Stoppers organization.

How To Donate

Send donations to: Galveston Crime Stoppers, P.O. Box 3194, Galveston, TX, 77552. Donation information is also available online at www.baby-grace.org.