Teen’s body found two weeks after she vanished, NC cops say. Half-brother is charged
UPDATE: On Nov. 18, police announced that 25-year-old Jahreese Jones was charged with first-degree murder and a 61-year-old was charged with obstruction of justice. Jones is the half-brother of Miyonna Jones, the teen who went missing and later was found dead, according to North Carolina Prosecutorial District 6.
The original story is below.
A teenager was found dead two weeks after she disappeared from North Carolina, officials said.
Miyonna Jones was 16 years old when she went missing on Nov. 1, according to the Wilmington Police Department. Foul play had been suspected in the case.
Then on Nov. 17, the teenager’s body was found in nearby Pender County, Chief Donny Williams said in a news conference his department posted on Facebook.
“This case has taken a mental toll on our officers and for others directly involved,” Williams said in a statement. “We will be following departmental protocols and will be referring personnel to outside specialists for mental health care.”
Police said Miyonna vanished after she was last seen on South 7th Street in Wilmington. Multiple agencies were involved in the search, which had taken officials to a landfill in New Hanover County, the Wilmington Star-News reported.
“In the entire time I’ve been in this office, I have never seen a more extensive investigation to try and bring a child home than what I have been personally witnessing over these last two weeks,” Ben David, district attorney for North Carolina Prosecutorial District 6, said during the news conference. “This is not the homecoming any of us wanted.”
Almost one week after the teen vanished, officials announced there was a “suspect of interest,” who police say is now charged in her disappearance but not reveal exact charges. The suspect’s girlfriend faced obstruction charges, McClatchy News reported.
During the news conference, David said murder charges are expected.
An investigation into the teen’s death continues, according to officials.
This story was originally published November 17, 2022 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Teen’s body found two weeks after she vanished, NC cops say. Half-brother is charged."
