Missing 17-year-old girl found dead in Southfield, police say; 2 in custody
A missing 17-year-old girl, who was last seen on April 5 in Inkster, Michigan, has been found dead.
Michigan State Police say the body of London Thomas was found in Southfield on Saturday. Neighbors living in the area of Millard Street near Berg Road say the teen's body was found inside an SUV parked in the driveway of a home. It is unclear how the house is connected to the case.
Two people "who are believed to be involved in her disappearance" were in police custody Sunday afternoon, officials say. Police say the teen's boyfriend is considered a person of interest, but they did not confirm whether he or any other family members were the individuals taken into custody.
No charges have yet been filed.
"I never thought that I would ever be burying my child. I never thought that. I thought my kids would be burying me," London's mother, Jasma Bennett, said on Monday.
The teen was last seen around midnight on April 5 after being dropped off at an Inkster home on the 27000 block of Carlysle Street near Inkster Road. Her cellphone pinged in Westland around 10 a.m. on April 6.
Detroit police say Thomas was reported missing on April 8. Thomas's family and friends organized at least two searches in Westland on April 12 and 17.
"When they told us they found her body, I couldn't breathe. I was like, 'This can't be real. Like, no, my baby's coming home. She's alive. This is not real,'" said the teen's stepfather, Darnell Johnson. "It's just evil in this world. It's crazy to take a 17-year-old's life. (She) haven't even begun her life. Ain't even have a chance to live her life."
On April 18, Detroit police and federal investigators searched a home in Inkster in connection with her disappearance. Officials there did not provide details on whose house it was, but family members told CBS News Detroit that the teen's boyfriend lived in the home.
Bennett says the family has received death threats, and they sent them over to the authorities.
"Our condolences go out to the family and friends of London," Lieutenant Mike Shaw with Michigan State Police said in a written statement. "While a majority of the investigation has been completed by DPD and the FBI, there is still work to do. Our number one goal is to bring justice for London and her family."
