Dive team members and paramedics stand near a retention pond at the onramp onto Interstate-80/94 from Kennedy Avenue in Hammond, Indiana as part of recovery efforts on Nov. 11, 2021. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

       A 26-year-old man who had a “troubled” relationship with a 21-year-old Wheeling woman is accused of strangling her, police said Friday, as officials identified a baby found dead in a Hammond retention pond as her missing daughter.

       Ahmeel Fowler was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Ja’nya Murphy, 21, said Wheeling Deputy police Chief Al Steffen.

       Murphy’s body was found about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday in her home in the 300 block of Inland Drive, and her daughter was initially reported missing, according to Steffen.

       Murphy and Fowler, who dated at one point, had a “troubled relationship,’’ Steffen said, adding that right now Fowler is only charged with Murphy’s death.

       “We expect additional charges,’’ Steffen said.

       Fowler is not the father of 1-year-old Jaclyn “Angel” Dobbs, who was found dead in a retention pond Thursday, Steffen said.

       The body of 1-year-old Jaclyn Dobbs was found dead in a Hammond retention pond on Nov. 11, 2021. Her mother, Ja'nya Murphy, was found dead in her Wheeling apartment earlier in the week. (Wheeling Police Department)

       Fowler, who Friday was is in the custody of the Springfield, Missouri, sheriff’s department, was arrested Wednesday in Missouri after a murder warrant was issued by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, Steffen said.

       Police are starting the extradition process to get Fowler back to Illinois to face the charges and Steffen said he did not immediately know when he will return.

       Murphy died of asphyxia from being strangled, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office, which conducted an autopsy Thursday. Her death was ruled a homicide.

       Angel was found dead in a Hammond retention pond Thursday afternoon. Her identity was confirmed by the Lake County, Indiana, coroner’s office, Indiana State Police spokesman Sgt. Glen Fifield said in a news release.

       Construction workers working in the Oxbow Landing business park nearby found what they thought was a body floating in the pond, located in an interchange cloverleaf, about noon Thursday, Fifield said during a news conference Thursday. They called E-911, and Hammond firefighters were first on scene, he said. Rescuers retrieved the body.

       Ja’nya Murphy and Jaclyn “Angel” Dobbs (Wheeling Police Department)

       Several agencies, including the Lake County Regional Dive Team, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Indiana State Police Crime Scene Investigation unit, worked until the evening combing the pond for evidence.

       Earlier Thursday, authorities in Wheeling said a “person of interest” had been identified and located in Missouri, as was a van believed to have been used in connection with the kidnapping of the girl, authorities said.

       The person had last been seen with Murphy on Monday, the day before she didn’t turn up for work. Her absence prompted a welfare check at the home later that night, which was when Murphy was found slain.

       Murphy, a 2018 graduate of Stevenson High School, lived alone with Angel.

       Wheeling police said: “Task force members also learned that this subject had left Illinois. Late (Wednesday), both the vehicle and person of interest were located in Missouri.”

       A GoFundMe fundraiser has been created to help the family of the mother and daughter.

       Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

       rsobol@chicagotribune.com

       kdouglas@chicagotribune.com

       jyan@chicagotribune.com

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