A 13-year-old Ohio woman was found murdered, raped and together with her fingers severed inside an deserted residence, and police shot and arrested her “animal” father — who had appeared on TV to lift consciousness about her disappearance — the subsequent day.
Keimani Latigue’s mutilated physique was present in a burnt-out home in Toledo on Monday, six days after her household reported her lacking in what one cop described as “one of the most horrific cases I’ve ever heard.”
“This is an absolute animal that came into our town,” Columbus Police Lt. Brian Metal advised WCMH.
Metal stated Keimani, who was simply days away from her 14th birthday, was discovered together with her fingers eliminated and her head practically chopped off on the second ground of the vacant residence. Authorities additionally decided {the teenager} had been raped.
An post-mortem on Tuesday confirmed she died of a number of “incised wounds of the neck,” in line with the coroner’s workplace, WTVG reported.
Whereas members of the family had been pleading with the general public to assist discover Keimani, her father, Darnell Jones, appeared on native information and stated he final noticed his daughter the evening of March 16 after she referred to as him to say she was scared to be residence alone.
“It seemed like somebody was trying to break into the house,” the 33-year-old claimed his daughter advised him, and stated he drove over to the home round 12:30 a.m.
Keimani lived together with her grandmother, Dorothy Latigue, who was not residence on the time, and two canine.
Keimani’s mom, Tiara Kasten, stated she final noticed her daughter on March 15, when Jones introduced the woman to her residence.
“Apparently my mother gave him permission, and honestly it was just loving on my kid. We play video games,” she advised WTVG, including that Keimani would solely go to high school, play basketball and go residence.
When Dorothy Latigue got here residence, she discovered the home in disarray, with the teenager’s undies by the sofa and her pajamas on the eating room ground. The range was on, and Keimani’s keys and glasses, which she couldn’t see with out, had been nonetheless there, the grieving grandmother advised WTVG.
After Jones gave inconsistent statements to Toledo police about Keimani’s whereabouts and what the 2 did collectively, cops issued a warrant for his arrest on Sunday, in line with charging paperwork.
When her physique was found the next day, authorities moreover charged Jones, who was on the run, with homicide and felonious assault.
Officers haven’t recognized a motive for the disturbing killing.
Jones was tracked down in Columbus, about two hours south of Toledo, the place he was shot in a SWAT crew operation. Police stated he had a gun. It’s not clear if Jones shot on the officers, however none had been injured.
He was taken to a hospital the place he underwent surgical procedure and a automobile believed to be related to the case was seized as proof.
“You pull a gun at officers, as we’ve said many times, this is the outcome you could expect,” Metal stated.
The horrific homicide has left the Toledo group shaken.
A spokesperson for Toledo Public Colleges stated Keimani was as a consequence of be offered with a kindness award this week and had been on her elementary college’s honor roll.
“The students and staff at Spring Elementary are saddened by the loss of their friend and classmate, Kei’Maini Latigue,” a TPS spokesperson advised WTVG.
