[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
This is one of the most disturbing cases we’ve come across in a while — and the same is true for authorities having to investigate. A 13-year-old girl was raped and brutally murdered. And most shockingly, this was allegedly by her own father — who had raised awareness about her disappearance days before his arrest.
Kei’Mani Latigue was reported missing by her family in Toledo, Ohio, on March 18, according to the Toledo Police Department. An arrest affidavit obtained by WTVG claimed the teenager’s father, Darnell Jones, was the last person to see her before she went missing. He even told the outlet last week that he last saw Kei’Mani late on March 16, alleging she called him to say she was afraid to be home alone:
“I came over here because she said that it seemed like somebody was trying to break into the house. Me and my cousin sat over here for an hour and we left around 12:30-ish.”
Kei’Mani had lived with only her grandmother Dorothy Latigue. And when the grandma came home on March 17, the teen was nowhere to be found. Dorothy said the house was in disarray, the stove was on, and Kei’Mani’s keys and glasses were still there — which was very odd to the grandmother since she couldn’t see without them.
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But that was not the only alarming thing she found inside the house. Dorothy told WTVG:
“Other than her and I, it’s just two dogs in the house. So, who cut it on? So that was kind of suspicious. Her glasses in her underclothes were by the couch in the front. Her pajamas were on the dining room floor.”
Soon, police became increasingly suspicious of Jones. First off, he had been the last person to see Kei’Mani. The dad also gave inconsistent statements about his whereabouts and his activity with his daughter to law enforcement. So, by Sunday, March 23, an arrest warrant for the abduction of Kei’Mani was issued for Jones, and a manhunt began. However, this was not only a kidnapping case. It was much worse. The following day, Kei’Mani was found dead in a dilapidated, burned-down building in Toledo. The Lucas County Coroner’s Office then revealed the cause of death was “multiple incised wounds of the neck” and ruled it a homicide.
Heartbreaking…
Afterward, investigators charged Jones with murder. He was apprehended in Columbus on Tuesday. Brian Steel of the Columbus Police Department told WTOL that cops and SWAT officers were patrolling the area when one officer spotted Jones. A “confrontation” then ensued as the dad had a gun and opened fire. Eventually, Jones was shot and arrested. Law enforcement said in a statement:
“The suspect was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital in stable condition at the time of this release. A firearm was recovered from the suspect. No officers were injured in the incident.”
Speaking to WTOL more about the case, Steel didn’t sugarcoat it. He called it “one of the most horrific cases” ever, giving gruesome details — not for the faint of heart:
“This case is one of the most horrific cases I’ve ever heard. This is a 14-year-old that was murdered, raped, had her hands cut off, and her throat almost cut off. … I’m glad our officers are OK. Our SWAT are the best of the best. We send a message: You murder somebody, do not come to this town.”
This poor, poor girl…
Knowing these details, you can imagine how the rest of her family feels. They are sickened. Kei’Mani’s grandmother told WBNS:
“I can’t even say. I feel deceived. I feel like this was pre-planned. She was phenomenal. She was like no other kid her age.”
Meanwhile, her aunt said this has been “devastating” and wishes she took Kei’Mani to Indianapolis with her “so this would have never happened.” Watch their interviews (below):
May Kei’Mani rest in peace and may her loved ones get some kind of justice for her death.
For more information on violence against women, go to https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-for-survivors.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources.
[Image via Lucas County Jail, Toledo Police Department/Facebook]
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