The suspect in the murder of a 15-year-old in Phoenix committed suicide last week, authorities said.
According to the Phoenix Police Department, 15-year-old Kyelonna Meya Smiley was discovered dead inside an apartment on August 4 from a gunshot wound.
Related posts
Authorities initially named the victim as a woman in her twenties, but an update on Thursday identified her as Smiley.
Phoenix police stated in a Tuesday update that Nohe Morelia, 67, is a suspect in the teen’s shooting death.
Detectives looked for Morelia but couldn’t find him.
On Friday, authorities were dispatched to a shop near 24th and Van Buren streets after receiving reports of a deceased corpse.
When police came, they discovered a male who had been pronounced deceased.
Detectives who took over the case discovered that the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and recognized him as Morelia.
Phoenix police claimed they concluded Morelia was responsible for Smiley’s death and closed the case.
However, the motivation remains unknown.
Details on murder of 15-year-old
Officers responded to reports of a deceased person at 77th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard around 9:40 a.m. They discovered Smiley with a gunshot wound.
She was pronounced dead on the scene.
The Medical Examiner’s Office has taken custody of her remains.
