Keimani Latigue | The abandoned house where her body was found | Source: Facebook/wtol11 | Facebook/AlexisMeans13abc
What began as a missing child case in Toledo ended in heartbreak when authorities uncovered a 13-year-old girl’s body. Now, her father is under investigation.
Toledo police discovered the body of 13-year-old Keimani Latigue on Monday inside an abandoned house on Miami Street. The Lucas County Coroner’s Office confirmed her identity and scheduled an autopsy for Tuesday to determine the cause of death.
Police had initially charged Latigue’s father, 33-year-old Darnell Jones, with abduction on Sunday. After recovering the body and reviewing additional evidence, they upgraded the charge to murder later that day.
Investigators said Jones was the last person seen with Latigue and gave conflicting statements. Phone records and surveillance footage also supported the case.
According to her family, Jones last brought Latigue to her mother’s home on March 15. Her mom, Tiara Kasten, said Latigue had a simple routine — school, basketball, and home — and would have had no reason to be near the vacant house where police found her.
After Latigue went missing, relatives organized search efforts and handed out flyers. On March 17, her grandmother, Dorothy Latigue, returned to their home and found the stove on, gas leaking, and Latigue’s glasses and keys still inside — items the teen never left behind.
The investigation remains active. “Until we’re done doing the whole investigation I can’t tell you how many people are involved,” Lt. Dan Gerken of Toledo Police said.