Body of Missing 13-year-old Keimani Latigue Found in an Abandoned and Fire-Burned Home

Keimani Latigue

Reports from KCRG and WTOL state that the body of 13-year-old Keimani Latigue was discovered in an abandoned house that had been damaged by fire, located about four miles from her residence in Toledo, Ohio. Keimani had been missing since March 18th. (The house's fire damage was not related to the discovery of her body).

In a news report on Monday, the teenager's mother, Tiara Kasten, stated, "There's no reason my daughter would ever be over there." She expressed her distress, saying, "Honestly, this situation is breaking me. I've been falling apart since I found out." Tiara explained that she immediately began sharing her daughter's information on social media as soon as she learned of her disappearance.

Toledo authorities initially charged the teen's father, Darnell Jones, with abduction. On Monday, he was then charged with murder.

Darnell Jones/Photo/Lucas County Jail

Dorothy Latigue, the grandmother with whom Keimani lives, told WTOL that she is uncertain whether Jones is the child's biological father. She mentioned that her daughter previously informed her that Jones was not the child's biological father, yet he remained active in Keimani's life. Dorothy expressed that she feels "deceived" because the 33-year-old pretended to have Keimani's best interests at heart. According to Latigue, Jones occasionally took Keimani on weekends to spend time with his other children.

Dorothy told WTOL that she discovered her granddaughter was missing when she returned home from work around 9:40 AM. She noticed that her house appeared unusual, stating, "There were things on the floor that should not have been." Concerned, Dorothy called her granddaughter's school to inquire about her, only to learn that her granddaughter was absent—she then contacted the authorities.

Amid the uncertainty surrounding the situation, Dorothy was escorted by the Toledo police for her safety. Neighbors and onlookers witnessed her being taken out of her home in handcuffs, leading them to assume she was being arrested in connection with the crime. However, she clarified to WTOL that she was not arrested. Due to a mob of people making threats outside her home, the authorities determined it was in her best interest to leave in handcuffs after she collected her belongings. Dorothy expressed that she fears for her safety.

WTOL confirmed that the authorities received conflicting statements from the teen's father. The police said Jones said he last saw Keimani late Sunday night after she called saying she was scared someone was trying to break into the house. He reportedly also told police that he and his cousin went and stayed with the child for about an hour after her phone call.

As reported by WTOL, Jones, who also goes by Darnell Ogletree is not in custody. Any person with information about his whereabouts is asked to anonymously call or text Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111.

UPDATE

An updated news report confirmed that Keimani's father was shot and apprehended by the SWAT team in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday. Jones was hospitalized due to his injuries.

Officer Steel for the Columbus police told WTOL that the teen was brutally murdered, stating, "This case is one of the most horrific cases I've ever heard." He continued to tell the press that Keimani "Was murdered, raped, had her hands cut off, and her throat almost cut off." Officer Steel called Jones "An absolute animal that came into our town!"

In a recent interview with WTOL, Keimani's grandmother shared that her granddaughter was a talented basketball player and nearly a 4.0 student. Following Keimani's passing, her school decided to postpone the girls' basketball team's award ceremony out of respect for her memory. Dorothy also sadly mentioned that Keimani's birthday is on Friday, adding, "She would have been 14." Dorothy continued, "We were gonna have her a large 'basketball theme' birthday party because it would have been her first birthday where..Once again all of my children were together and could participate in the party. Her mom was supposed to come."

The grandmother stated that authorities in Columbus confirmed that Jones confessed to raping and cutting the throat of a 13-year-old girl. Dorothy told WTOL that she regrets allowing her granddaughter to have a relationship with Jones. She expressed, "I feel deceived; I feel like this was pre-planned." She further explained, "I feel like he meant to do this—I feel like he was grooming her." Dorothy elaborated, "I never noticed anything out of the ordinary, but when molesters choose their prey, they often groom them first. They give gifts and try to make their victims comfortable with them."

Dorothy shared that before obtaining custody of her granddaughter, her best friend, who was Keimani's godmother, also acted as her guardian. She mentioned that her daughter had not raised Keimani for long.

This is a developing story.

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