Reports of 13-year-old Kei’Mani Latigue’s brutal death have sparked outrage across social media. Police discovered her body inside an abandoned home in Toledo, Ohio, on Monday, March 24. According to 13abc, authorities have accused Latigue’s father, Darnell Jones, of allegedly abducting and murdering her just days before her 14th birthday.
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Heartbreaking Details On The Tragic Death Of A 13-Year-Old Ohio Girl
The New York Post reports that Kei’Mani Latigue was sexually assaulted and left inside a burned-down abandoned home. Authorities found her body six days after her family reported her missing. They eventually found her on the second floor of the vacant house with her hands missing and her head nearly severed. An autopsy revealed that she died from “multiple incised wounds of the neck,” according to an official statement from the coroner’s office.
PEOPLE reports that Kei’Mani’s family officially reported her missing on March 18 in Toledo, Ohio. While her family pleaded with the public for help, her father, Darnell Jones, appeared on television, claiming her last saw on March 16. He also said that Kei’Mani called him before she disappeared, telling him she was scared to be home alone. “It seemed like somebody was trying to break into the house,” Jones said. He reportedly later decided to drive her home around 12:30 a.m.
According to the NYP, Kei’Mani lived with her grandmother, Dorothy Latigue, who wasn’t home when she vanished. Kei’Mani’s mother, Tiara Kasten, said she last saw her daughter on March 15, when her father, Darnell Jones, brought her over to visit. “Apparently, my mother gave him permission, and honestly I was just loving on my kid. We play video games,” Kei’Mani’s mother explained.
However, following March 16, Dorothy, Kei’Mani’s grandmother, said she came to find her home in a mess, with Kei’Mani’s underclothes by the couch and her pajamas on the floor. Dorothy also mentioned that Kei’Mani’s keys and glasses were allegedly still there, per WTVG.
Kei’Mani’s Father Darnell Jones Arrested In Connection To Her Brutal Murder
On Sunday, March 23, police issued a warrant for her father, Darnell Jones, in connection with her abduction. Reports say that in arrest warrants, Toledo police accused Jones of allegedly giving inconsistent statements about his time with his daughter and her whereabouts.
Bodycam footage obtained by 13abc shows when Columbus police confronted Darnell Jones. He allegedly fired a gun he was holding inside his sweatshirt, according to Columbus Police Lieutenant Brian Steel. Officers then shot back, critically injuring Jones, but he remains in stable condition, per PEOPLE.
13abc states that Darnell Jones now faces charges of felonious assault and murder in connection to Kei’Mani’s Latigue tragic death.
Ohio Community Mourns The Horrific Loss Of Kei’Mani Latigue
Kei’Mani Latigue’s community feels heartbroken and completely shocked by the gruesome nature of the crime. On Tuesday, March 25, nearly 100 people gathered for a vigil at the site where Kei’Mani’s body was discovered, according to PEOPLE. Candles, flowers, and balloons now cover the area in her memory. Officials still have yet to determine a motive for Kei’Mani’s disturbing murder.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe account has been established to “provide a proper homegoing and burial” for the 13-year-old.
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