ROCHESTER, NY – The body of a missing teenager, Jakarah Lopez-Moore, who disappeared in August, has been discovered in the woods near Rochester, New York. The tragic find comes almost two months after the 16-year-old was reported missing.
Jakarah Lopez-Moore was last seen on August 27, and her family reported her missing on August 29. Concerns grew as her absence from social media and her family persisted, as it was unusual for her to stay out of contact for an extended period. Her body was found in a state of decomposition by witnesses who were fishing behind a recycling facility in Rochester, according to Capt. Frank Umbrino of the Rochester Police Department.
The Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the body as Jakarah Lopez-Moore. Her death has been ruled a homicide, but the exact cause of death is yet to be announced. Her mother expressed her grief on social media, saying, “You were always too big for this earth! That’s why God wanted you back!” She added, “Forever my Jakarah Mahree! I’ll see you again one day and when I do I’ll never let you go.”
A woman named Kita Herring, who had worked with Jakarah in the past, also paid tribute to the teenager on Facebook, saying, “Although you might not have believed it, Jakarah, you were loved.”
The circumstances surrounding Jakarah Lopez-Moore’s disappearance and death remain under investigation. The Rochester Police Department has not yet provided further information on the case.