Darnell Jones: Toledo Father Charged With Murder After Teen Daughter Found With Slashed Throat and Severed Hands
Tragically, what started as a frantic search for the missing girl ended in tragedy when her body was discovered in an abandoned house.
The local police department has now accused her own father, Darnell Jones of killing his daughter.
Let's get into the details of what we know so far.
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| Keimani Latigue |
Keimani Latigue’s Mysterious Disappearance
Keimani Latigue was a bright, energetic teenager who loved basketball, video games, and spending time with her family.
She was a student at Spring Elementary School in Toledo, Ohio.
She was just days away from celebrating her 14th birthday when she vanished without a trace.
Keimani was last seen on the night of March 16, 2025, at her grandmother’s home in North Toledo.
Her grandmother, who was her legal guardian, returned from work to find the front door unlocked and Keimani missing.
Panicked, the family immediately contacted the Toledo Police Department to file a missing persons report.
As hours turned into days with no sign of Keimani, her mother, Tiara Kasten, drove in from Cleveland to join the search.
Flyers with Keimani’s photo were plastered across the city, and volunteers combed through neighborhoods near East Manhattan and Stickney Avenue, where she was last seen.
"I have not slept in three days, I have not eaten in three days," a distraught Kasten told reporters.
"I’ve never had a seizure before, and I’ve had three," she added.
The victim's father Darnell Jones, who had a history of violent crimes, was reportedly the last person to see her.
When he was questioned by detectives, Jones, gave conflicting statements about his daughter’s disappearance.
He claimed he last saw Keimani on March 16 when she called him that someone was trying to break into the house.
He said he and a cousin stayed with her until around 12:30 a.m. before leaving.
However, surveillance footage and phone records didn’t fully support his timeline, raising red flags for criminal investigators.
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| Keimani Latigue |
The Horrific Discovery: How Police Found Keimani's Body
After nearly a week of searching, the police made a breakthrough after Darnell Jones's then-girlfriend provided critical information.
According to the girlfriend, Darnell Jones called her on March 21 and told her to turn off the security cameras in her home.
This was an unusual request so she became suspicious and kept the cameras running, as reported by 13ABC News
A family member who lived with her later saw Jones on the camera moving suspicious items from his SUV into their basement.
Jones reportedly hid a rubber SUV cargo mat and a pair of mud-caked work boots under the basement stairs.
Recognizing these as potential evidence, his girlfriend immediately contacted Toledo police.
They quickly obtained a search warrant and crime scene investigators secured the evidence, including the mat which matched the one in Jones's car.
After the search, Police traced Jones' recent movements through surveillance footage and cell phone data, which led them to an abandoned house on Miami Street.
On March 25, crime scene investigators found Keimani's body on the second floor of the abandoned house.
The Lucas County Coroner’s Office confirmed the identity and ruled her death a homicide.
They also determined she had suffered multiple sharp force injuries to her neck and there was evidence of severe physical trauma.
The autopsy revealed unspeakable brutality:
1) Multiple deep cuts to her neck—nearly decapitating her.
2) Severed hands, suggesting an attempt to destroy evidence.
3) Signs of sexual assault
An investigation of the crime scene revealed signs of an attempt to clean and hide evidence, including empty bleach containers nearby.
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| The burnt house where Keimani Latigue was found dead |
The Arrest and Confrontation of Darnell Jones
As the evidence against Darnell Jones mounted, authorities moved swiftly to locate and apprehend him.
His then-girlfriend told detectives that he had fled Toledo and was hiding in Columbus.
On the morning of March 26, 2025, officers from Columbus Police Department's SWAT team spotted him in Victoria village.
His head was freshly shaved and investigators believe was trying to alter his appearance to blend in.
When officers approached Jones, the situation escalated violently.
Without warning, Jones drew a firearm and opened fire on police as seen in the body cam video below.
A Columbus police officer fired back at Jones, hitting him and effectively neutralizing the threat.
Despite his injuries, Jones survived the confrontation and was immediately taken into custody.
Paramedics transported him to a nearby hospital, where he was treated under heavy police guard.
The arrest marked a critical turning point in the case.
Darnell Jones Troubled Past
Darnell Jones had a disturbing pattern of criminal behavior and violence before his daughter Keimani's murder, as reported by Toledoblade.
Court records show he had been in and out of jail for years, always getting into more violent situations.
His first arrest came in 2011 when he was just 19.
He got drunk and caused a public disturbance, then fought with police officers who tried to arrest him.
That same year, he got into more trouble - he was caught trying to set a Toledo business on fire using a lighter and some flammable liquid.
As Jones entered his twenties, his violent tendencies became more pronounced.
In 2015, during a fight at an apartment complex, he pulled out a gun and shot at a man's feet before running away.
The incident resulted in his first felony weapons charge, but sadly, he received only probation rather than significant jail time.
In 2017, Jones violently attacked a man during an argument.
He hit the man so hard in the face with a car's alternator that the victim needed over 20 stitches to close the wounds.
Jones claimed it was self-defense, but witnesses told a different story.
One of his worst crimes happened in 2019.
Neighbors called 911 after seeing Jones holding his wife over their second-floor balcony by her throat, threatening to throw her off.
The terrified woman screamed for help as neighbors watched in shock.
Even after this, Jones only spent 11 days in jail.
His last arrest before Keimani's murder came in 2022 when police found him lying drunk in a daycare parking lot clutching a gun.
This was another serious crime but it only got him one year in jail.
This extensive history of violence makes the tragedy of Keimani's murder all the more heartbreaking.
Multiple opportunities for intervention were missed, and a system designed to rehabilitate failed to recognize the danger Jones clearly presented.
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| Darnell Jones before his arrest |
Justice for Keimani Jones
Darnell Jones remains in custody awaiting trial for the murder of his 13-year-old daughter Keimani Latigue.
Apart from murder, he is also facing other felony charges, including, abduction, tampering with evidence, and assaulting police officers during his arrest, as reported by Wtap
As of now, there is really no clear motive for Darnell Jones's actions regarding the alleged murder of his daughter
Prosecutors have vowed to seek the strongest possible punishment
The murder charge alone carries a potential sentence of 15 years to life in prison if convicted.
While nothing can bring Keimani back, her loved ones find some solace in knowing her case has exposed gaps in the system and inspired efforts to protect other vulnerable children.
As the legal proceedings continue, Toledo waits and watches, hoping the justice system will deliver the accountability this innocent young girl deserves.
Here is a video of Darnell Jones's arrest which ended in an exchange of gunfire.
Got a tip about a crime? Please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS immediately.
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