On Saturday, October 14, 2023, a teenager who had been missing since August was discovered dead in the woods of Rochester, New York. The case is now being treated as a homicide.
Jakarah Lopez-Moore, aged 16, disappeared after last being seen on August 27. Her absence was noted and reported two days after her last sighting. Fast forward to nearly two months later, her body was discovered behind a recycling facility in Rochester by individuals who were fishing in the vicinity.
Due to the signs of decomposition, it became evident that the body had been there for a considerable duration. The task of identifying the remains fell to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office, which confirmed the body to be that of Lopez-Moore and subsequently declared the cause of death as homicide.
Frank Umbrino, a representative from the Rochester Police Department, provided further details about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. Lopez-Moore had reportedly left her residence voluntarily at about 1:45 a.m. on August 27. Her unusual and prolonged absence prompted the initiation of the missing person report. There was activity on one of her Facebook accounts just a day before her last known whereabouts.
Following the revelation of her death, several people took to social media to remember her. Lopez-Moore’s mother expressed her sorrow in a post, highlighting the uniqueness of her daughter. Another individual, Kita Herring, shared her experience of having known and worked with Lopez-Moore in the past.
The efforts to unravel the mystery behind Lopez-Moore’s death are in progress. Authorities from the Rochester Police Department have reached out to the public, urging them to come forward with any pertinent information to aid the investigation.
