Teen stepdaughter of accused pill mill doctor found slain in creek

DALLAS -- Police say a teenager was killed and her body found floating in a Dallas creek days after her stepfather was arrested on charges he wrote unnecessary prescriptions for powerful drugs that contributed to at least seven overdose deaths.

Dallas police have identified the body found Sunday as that of 17-year-old Mikayla Mitchell. Police tell The Dallas Morning News that the teen died from homicidal violence, but didn't confirm other details. Someone reported seeing the body in the creek Sunday morning, reports CBS DFW.

The newspaper reports Mitchell was the stepdaughter of Dr. Howard Gregg Diamond, who was arrested July 11 on federal charges that include conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Mitchell had been living in the Dallas area, and Diamond is married to her mother, the station reports.

Diamond ran a booming pain management practice with clinics in Sherman, Sulphur Springs and Paris, Texas, reports CBS affiliate KHOU. He's accused in the overdose deaths of seven patients between 2012 and 2016, and a 21-count indictment also charges him with Medicare fraud and money laundering, the station reports.

His lawyer, Pete Schulte, said on Twitter Tuesday that "there is no connection" between Diamond's case and his stepdaughter's death. He says Diamond's family is "devastated" by the news.

Schulte told KHOU Diamond is hoping that a judge approves his release, so he can be with his wife and family.

Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest.