Neeka Smith always called her brother Malik Jones, a big guy at 6 feet 3 inches, a "gentle giant." He loved his family and seemed larger than life. But when he disappeared in Missouri on January 30th, something felt wrong to Neeka.
Neeka knew right away something bad had happened. Malik was planning to move to California to learn how to make music. He wouldn't just disappear, and he wouldn't miss calling his family or even a Lakers game.
For over a week, Neeka and her mom, Shawna Patterson, searched for Malik day and night. Then, on February 7th, Neeka made a terrible discovery. She was driving near Columbia, Missouri with her mom when she saw something off the road in the woods.
"I told her to stop the car," Neeka tells PEOPLE. "I jumped out and ran over to see what it was. My mom was backing up, and I yelled for her. I knew it was Malik. I know the way he looks, head to toe."
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Neeka called 911 to tell the police she found her brother's body after days of searching. "I just lost it completely, started screaming for my mom," she says.
The police are treating Malik's death as a murder, and on March 1st, they arrested a 15-year-old suspect. They haven't said the teenager's name because they're young, and they haven't said what charges they're facing.
"It's hard to believe a 15-year-old could do something like that," Neeka says. She thinks there might be other people involved.
"Malik was a big guy," Neeka says. "A little 15-year-old wouldn't be able to do anything to him by themselves."
The police haven't said how Malik died, but his family is begging anyone with information to come forward.
"They took away a huge part of our family, and it hurts so much," Neeka says. "I'm sad, I'm angry, but I want everyone involved to be caught. We won't stop looking for them just like we didn't stop looking for Malik."
Even though Neeka and her family are heartbroken by Malik's death, she'll always remember him for who he was: a kind, religious man who always had a smile on his face.
If you have any information about Malik's death, you can call the Boone County Sheriff's Office at 573-442-6131. To leave an anonymous tip, call CrimeStoppers at 573-875-TIPS.
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