Update: Family demands answers after missing teen's body found on Highway 4 in Concord
CONCORD -- An East Bay family is seeking answers and justice after their missing son was found dead on the side of a busy Concord freeway.
Family members and the Concord Police Department confirmed they found the body of 19-year-old Damond Lazenby Jr. on Saturday.
The victim's family Damond Lazenby Sr. said a motorist spotted a body and called 911.
The family was already in the area searching for the missing teen. They arrived at the site very quickly after the police notified them. They were able to identify the body.
"I walked along that freeway myself on January 1st, 2nd, and all the way to the 3rd," said Lazenby Sr.
Lazenby Sr. said they had searched that site many times before. The Concord police said they also had searched that area prior to Saturday's grim discovery.
The body was located just below the shoulder of eastbound Highway 4 in Concord, between the Port Chicago Highway and Willow Pass Road.
"We assumed that his body was thrown from a vehicle. And we assumed that somebody they had to take their time get out of the vehicle and do it. And I don't think that nobody would have went unseen doing something like that. He's a 6' 3" guy, so he's not a small guy," said Lazenby Sr.
"It would have been bluntly obvious to us if he had been there for the full, entire seven days. And also keep in mind, the weather has been really, really bad. It's been raining, stormy. So if he was out there in stormy weather, his condition would have shown that today when he found him. So it was clear to us that he had been dumped. He didn't have any dirt on his shirt. And it's super clear that he was just placed there," said Jabari Harper, the victim's first cousin.
Lazenby Sr. said the body was spotted around 2 p.m. on Saturday. The family said if anyone saw anything suspicious on the side of Highway 4 between noon and 2 p.m., to please call the police with leads.
"Pain, just pain, lost for words," said Lazenby Sr. "A part of me is gone."
Lazenby Jr. worked for his father's moving company. He went missing on New Year's Day. Police found his car abandoned and running on that same day in the Port Chicago Highway area.
Lazenby Sr. said he wants justice for his son.
"So anybody that knows anything on that stretch of highway between 12 noon and 2 o'clock this afternoon, please let the police know," said Lazenby Sr.
The family ruled out suicide. They said Lazenby Jr. had no history of mental health, depression, or harming himself.
The CHP is leading the investigation. Concord detectives are assisting in the case.
Authorities are waiting for the autopsy result before they release any more information.
