Yashanee Vaughn's Remains Found Four Months After Being Shot

Yashanee Vaughn’s Remains Found Four Months After Being Shot

Posted by FU on July 21, 2011 // Leave Your Comment

( 4UMF NEWS ) Yashanee Vaughn’s Remains Found

The remains of a 14-year-old girl missing for four months have been found in the wilderness near her home in Portland, Oregon.

Yashanee Vaughn was last seen at a Taco Bell in March. Just days later police arrested her 16-year-old boyfriend after he allegedly told his father he had shot Yashanee by mistake.

Parrish Bennette also claimed he had hidden her body in the wooded Rocky Butte area, saying ‘they’ll never find her there’.

Her disappearance devastated the community and her mother, Shaquita Louis, led a high-profile campaign to find her.

After a three-month search investigators announced they had discovered the remains of a woman on Friday, after Bennette told them where he’d hidden her – only a mile from his home.

They were positively identified as Yashanee today, exactly four months after she went missing. She died from a single gunshot to the head.

Yashanee vanished on March 19, after having dinner with Bennette. She was supposed to meet her cousin, but never arrived.

Police arrested her boyfriend two weeks later, after he allegedly confessed to his father that his gun had gone off by mistake.

The day before Yashanee died he had taken a photograph of himself with his cell phone holding a gun.

When officers searched his home, they found his bedroom carpet was soaked with blood which matched Yashanee’s DNA, according to court documents.

They also allegedly found blood on the walls, spattered over furniture and on the floorboards, where it had penetrated through the carpet.

Detective Mark Slater of Portland Police testified the bloodstains on the walls appeared in ‘wiping, swirling patterns’, indicating someone had tried to clean it.

Officers also discovered traces of Yashanee’s blood in fluid found inside a vacuum cleaner, as well as Isopropyl and bleach in Bennette’s room, they claimed.

Bennette pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter with a firearm.
He denied ever telling his father he had shot Yashanee, and claimed he had last seen her heading towards a light railway after dinner at Taco Bell.

But police discovered her last cell phone call had been made from Bennette’s house, just half-an-hour after he said she left for the train.

Yashanee’s family began arranging her funeral on Friday when the body was discovered. In a statement today, her grandmother Reynelda Hayes said: ‘Although the news was expected it didn’t make it any easier to hear the words from investigators of confirmation.’

They have planned a vigil close to where Yashanee’s remains were found, and will hold a funeral service on July 30.

Mrs Hayes said: ‘We hope to see everyone tonight at the vigil where we hope her memory will bring together the community for prayer and peace for all of our children.’

Bennette is being held without bail.

Story @ DailyMail