Nicole Fitts’ murder still unsolved as daughter Arianna remains missing

The body of Nicole Fitts was found buried in McLaren Park in 2016. Her 2-year-old daughter Arianna vanished weeks earlier and has never been found.

Arianna Fitts along side photo age enhanced by nine years

Nearly a decade after San Francisco mother Nicole Fitts was murdered, her 2-year-old daughter Arianna remains missing in one of the city’s most haunting unsolved cases. Nicole, 32, was last seen on the evening of April 1, 2016, after leaving her job at a Best Buy store on Harrison Street. She told friends she was meeting with Arianna’s babysitter. When family members could not reach her, they reported both mother and child missing on April 5.

On April 8, a gardener working in McLaren Park discovered Nicole’s body in a shallow grave. She had been buried beneath a piece of plywood marked with a distinctive silver spray-painted character. Authorities ruled the case a homicide but have not disclosed the cause of death.

Silver figure spray painted on the wood covering Nicole's body

Arianna, born in late 2013, had last been seen in mid-February 2016, weeks before her mother’s disappearance. At the time, she was in the care of babysitters Helena and Devin Martin and their friend Siolo Hearne, acquaintances of Nicole’s through Helena’s uncle, Lemasani Briggs, a self-described street pastor. Investigators later said the babysitters gave conflicting statements, and some stopped cooperating with police, raising suspicion but resulting in no charges.

Nicole was remembered by coworkers and friends as a devoted mother working to provide for her child. Vigils were held in McLaren Park as the community demanded answers about Arianna’s whereabouts. The case soon drew national attention, and the FBI joined the San Francisco Police Department in investigating. Posters of Arianna circulated widely, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released age-progressed images to show what she might look like as she grew older.

Authorities have emphasized the role of Nicole’s babysitters in the timeline. Shortly before her death, she told coworkers she was stressed about issues with Arianna’s care. On the night she vanished, she allegedly told a friend she was traveling to meet Arianna’s babysitter but never returned. At one point, she texted relatives that she was planning to go to Fresno with “Sam,” a person her family did not know. Detectives have not confirmed whether that individual exists.

In 2016, San Francisco police offered a $100,000 reward for information about the case. By 2022, the reward had grown to $250,000. Age-progressed photos now depict Arianna as she might look at 11 years old. Investigators stress she may still be alive and possibly living under a different name or in the custody of someone outside the Bay Area.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the San Francisco Police Department’s tip line at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411, beginning the message with “SFPD.” The FBI also accepts tips related to the case.