A 13-year-old girl from Ohio was found brutally killed, raped, and with her hands cut inside an abandoned house as police shot and detained her "animal" father, who had made an appearance on television to draw attention to her disappearance, the next day.
Keimani Latigue's mangled body was found in a Toledo home that had burned down on Monday, six days after her family reported her missing. One police officer called the incident "one of the most horrific cases I've ever heard." "This is an absolute animal that came into our town," Columbus Police Lt. Brian Steel told WCMH. The harrowing rape and murder has left the entire community shocked.
Killed Without any Mercy
Steel said that Keimani, who was only a few days shy of turning 14, was found on the second floor of the empty house with her hands severed and her head almost completely decapitated.
Investigators also concluded that the teen had been brutally raped. A Tuesday autopsy confirmed that she died from multiple deep cuts to the neck, according to the coroner's office, as reported by WTVG.
As Keimani's family urged the public for help in locating her, her father, Darnell Jones, spoke on local news, claiming that the last time he saw his daughter was on the night of March 16, after she called him saying she was afraid to be home by herself.
The 33-year-old said that Keimani told him it felt like someone was trying to break into the house, prompting him to drive there around 12:30 a.m.
Keimani lived with her grandmother, Dorothy Latigue, who was not home at the time, along with two dogs.
Tiara Kasten, Keimani's mother, said that the last time she saw her daughter was on March 15, when Jones dropped her off at her home. "Apparently my mother gave him permission, and honestly it was just loving on my kid. We play video games," she told WTVG, adding that Keimani would only go to school, play basketball, and go home.
Grim Discovery
When Dorothy Latigue returned home, she found the house in disorder—Keimani's undergarments were near the couch, and her pajamas were strewn across the dining room floor. The stove had been left on, and Keimani's keys and glasses—essential for her vision—were still in the house, the devastated grandmother told WTVG.
After Jones provided contradictory accounts to Toledo police regarding Keimani's whereabouts and their time together, authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on Sunday, according to court records.
The next day, when Keimani's body was found, authorities filed additional charges against Jones, who was on the run, for murder and felonious assault. Officials have not yet determined a motive for the horrific crime.
Jones was eventually located in Columbus, roughly two hours south of Toledo, where a SWAT team shot him during an operation. Police said that he was armed, though it remains unclear whether he fired at officers. No police officers were injured.
He was transported to a hospital, where he underwent surgery, and a vehicle suspected to be linked to the case was taken as evidence. "You pull a gun at officers, as we've said many times, this is the outcome you could expect," Steel said.
The brutal murder has deeply unsettled the Toledo community.
A representative from Toledo Public Schools shared that Keimani was set to receive a kindness award this week and had previously made the honor roll at her elementary school.
