- Missing Washington mom and daughter's remains were discovered on the roadside
- Meshay Melendez and her daughter Layla Stewart were last seen on March 12
- Police stated that the victim's ex-boyfriend, Kirkland Warren, was a "person of interest"
According to authorities, a Washington mom and daughter were discovered dead after relatives and friends had not heard from or seen them for over a week.
The bodies of Meshay Melendez, 27, and Layla Stewart, 7, were discovered by the Clark County Sheriff's Department on March 22 after a passerby reported spotting what they assumed to be "life-sized mannequins" off the side of the road in dense undergrowth, according to the sheriff's office.
Missing Mom, Daughter in Washington Found Dead
Upon arrival, deputies discovered two remains, which Vancouver police subsequently suspected to be those of the missing mother and girl. The police conducted a welfare check at Melendez's residence on March 18 after her family and friends had not heard from her since March 12.
According to authorities, the flat was vacant save for the family's dog when they arrived. Melendez's mother discovered her vehicle on March 19, the same day police conducted a search warrant at the residence of her ex-boyfriend, Kirkland C. Warren, according to authorities.
Warren is a person of interest in the disappearance of the couple and was arrested on witness tampering, violation of domestic violence orders, assault IV-DV, drive-by shooting, and unauthorized possession of a handgun, according to police.
The investigation into the cause and manner of death of Melendez and her daughter is underway, according to authorities. The Clark County jail's records revealed that Warren is being detained in custody. Per Inside Edition, his next court hearing is scheduled on April 21.
A passerby in Washougal reported seeing what seemed to be two "life-sized mannequins" just off the road down an embankment in heavy vegetation. The Clark County Sheriff's Office responded to the complaint, according to Newsweek via MSN.
Based on "unique identifying DNA characteristics," the police department stated in a press statement that they suspect the remains to be that of Meshay Melendez and her 7-year-old daughter, Layla Stewart.
The Clark County Medical Examiner's Office will identify the cause and manner of death, police said. Their families have been contacted. According to court filings, a friend of Melendez informed police that she spotted Melendez nude and unconscious in Warren's truck on March 12.
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Ex-Boyfriend Named Person of Interest
The victim's friend said Warren arrived to retrieve Melendez's kid, whom she had been minding. According to the news source, Warren was also charged with murder and mistreatment of a body in Arkansas in 2018.
Michelle Bart, who represents Melendez, stated that Warren was released on bond despite recently firing at Melendez. Bart has been contacted by email for comment. The final status update on Melendez's Facebook profile, where she is known as Karmen Melendez, was published on March 14 and had the initials "DND."
Warren is also accused of firing a gun at Melendez's apartment earlier this month. Warren had entered a not-guilty plea on these counts. The investigators identified the bodies of Melendez and Layla using genetic markers, as per KATU.
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