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 of the situation, Dorothy was reportedly moved from her home by Toldeo police for her safety.

WTOL confirmed that the authorities received conflicting statements from the teen's father. The police said Jones said he 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 ananoymously call or text Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111.

This is a developing story.

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