An 18-year-old high school senior's body was found near Missouri highway on December 1. The body was later identified as that of Eureka High School student Kiley Kennedy. She was found dead and face-down with a gunshot wound to her chest in the area of Highway 100 and Country Aire Lane Wednesday around 7:00 am. The Major Case Squad of Greater St Louis and the Franklin County Sheriff's Office informed during a press conference on December 3 that Kennedy's death is being treated as a homicide.
According to Fox2Now, two 16-year-old males were arrested in connection with Kennedy's death on Thursday, December 2 night. According to Lt. Tom Wilkison, the two suspects led Kennedy to the location a few hours prior to the incident. Police have reason to believe that there was an altercation between the victim and the two suspects over narcotics and money. Kennedy is said to be shot during the feud. A 9 mm pistol was found by the investigators believed to be used in the crime at a residence in the Pacific.
Who are the suspects?
The suspects, whose identities have not been revealed at the moment, are being held in a St. Charles County detention center. Lt. Wilkison noted that the victim and the suspects knew each other. The relations, however, between them were not clear. According to police, the two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Kennedy's death by the Franklin County Family Court. The suspects were students too but did not attend Rockwood where Kennedy went.
A spokesperson for the Rockwood School District informed that a crisis team will help students and faculty cope with Kiley's death. The executive director of student services for the Rockwood School District, Terry Harris noted that the students and teachers are all a family, so when something as such happens, it hurts. "This is a huge loss. We are grieving," she said.
Who was Kiley Kennedy?
A senior in Rockwood High, Kiley was set to graduate in spring 2022. Her brother, Logan noted in a Facebook post that she was a skateboarder, a dancer, and an animal lover. He further noted that Kiley was loved by everyone. "She was completely loving. All she did was give love to those around her," Nick Welton, a friend of Kiley's also said.
Logan, on behalf of the Kennedy family, said that they want justice for what happened to Kiley. "The person that did this is human, and made a huge mistake, that has broken the lives of many," he said, before requesting privacy for the family at this time of grief.
