Tragedy Unfolds: Missing Teen Keimani Latigue Found Dead, Father Now a Murder Suspect
A chilling mystery in Toledo has taken a devastating turn as authorities confirm the body found in an abandoned house on Miami Street belongs to 17-year-old Keimani Latigue. The Lucas County Coroner’s Office verified the tragic discovery, leaving a community shattered and demanding answers.
An autopsy is scheduled to determine how Keimani died, but the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and death have already ignited fury and heartbreak. A crowd gathered near the scene, tensions running high as the missing teen’s mother, Tiara Kasten, pleaded for clarity in the agonizing hours before officials confirmed the worst.
“I just want to know if it’s my baby. They’re still not telling me nothing,” Kasten cried out. “It’s nothing to take a picture. It’s nothing to let me know when the coroner bringing her out so I can see if that’s indeed my baby. You’re not saying nothing.”
Kasten is adamant that her daughter had no reason to be near the abandoned home where her body was found. Keimani’s routine was simple—school, basketball, and home. The last time Kasten saw her daughter was on March 15, when Keimani’s father, Darnell Jones, dropped her off after allegedly receiving permission from Keimani’s grandmother. “We just played video games. It was all love,” Kasten recalled, a heartbreaking reminiscence now marred by tragedy.
Shockingly, just hours before Keimani’s body was identified, police charged Jones, 33, with abduction. The case took an even darker twist late Monday when Toledo Police escalated the charges to murder. Jones, now a fugitive with an active warrant, is accused of giving inconsistent statements about Keimani’s whereabouts, with phone data and surveillance footage playing a key role in the charges against him.
Jones previously claimed he was with Keimani on March 16 after she called, frightened about being home alone. “She said 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,” Jones told 13 Action News last week.
But the details of Keimani’s disappearance paint an unsettling picture. Her grandmother, Dorothy Latigue, who lived with Keimani, noticed disturbing signs when she returned home on March 17. The house was in chaos—the stove left on, the scent of gas filling the air, and Keimani’s glasses and keys abandoned inside. “She can’t see without them,” Dorothy emphasized, her voice heavy with dread. More disturbingly, Keimani’s underclothes were found near the couch, and her pajamas lay discarded on the dining room floor.
With the investigation still unfolding, Toledo Police remain tight-lipped on whether others may have played a role in Keimani’s disappearance and death. “Until we’re done with the whole investigation, I can’t tell you how many people are involved,” said Lt. Dan Gerken.
As family members continue their search for justice, passing out flyers and keeping Keimani’s memory alive, the city watches in horror. Was this a father’s twisted betrayal, or is there more to this nightmare? One thing is certain: Toledo will not rest until the full truth is unearthed.
