Possible Break in Missing Woman's Case as Body Found

 


In Missouri, the police may have discovered the body of a 44-year-old woman who vanished in September.

Local authorities, specifically the Independence Police Department, revealed on social media that they're investigating Ebony Duncan's disappearance in the 83rd and Hillcrest Road area of Kansas City. During their search, one of their K-9 dogs found a deceased person in the nearby woods. They believe this may be Ebony, based on certain characteristics, but a formal identification is pending from the Jackson County Medical Examiner's Office. They are considering details such as height, weight, eye color, hair color, scars, marks, and tattoos to confirm her identity.

Court documents, obtained by PEOPLE, show that a missing person's case was initiated on September 7 when Ebony's family and friends couldn't contact her, and she failed to show up for work. She was last seen preparing to leave for work the day before at around 5:30 p.m. According to the documents, Ebony had confided in a co-worker that her former boyfriend, identified by her daughter as Charles Smith-Howell, had been making threats against her life. The police consider Smith-Howell a suspect in the case.

Smith-Howell is currently in federal custody on ammunition-related charges and is awaiting trial, which is scheduled for January 8. It's unclear whether he has entered a plea or hired an attorney. He has a history of criminal convictions, including drug trafficking, possession of controlled substances, robbery, and firearms-related offenses.

Investigators are working to determine Ebony's last known whereabouts. Surveillance footage and witnesses indicate that she left work around 6:11 p.m. on September 6 in a silver four-door sedan, which had followed her. According to documents, the car is believed to be associated with Smith-Howell's current girlfriend, identified by her initials as K.R.

The Independence Police Department is seeking assistance from the public to locate a person of interest named Keaira Ransberg (Jenkins), aged 42. They are not certain if she is the same person mentioned in the court documents. The police are interested in questioning her about Ebony's disappearance. She is described as 5 feet tall, 150 lbs., with brown eyes. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to contact the Independence Police at the Crimestoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS or through their website at https://www.kccrimestoppers.com.

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