13-year-old girl mutilated, murdered and set on fire by teenagers: Suspected perpetrators arrested
Columbia (South Carolina, USA) - "Brutal, cruel and disturbing" - these are the words used by police chief Skip Holbrook to describe the crime. Two teenage girls (15, 16) allegedly stabbed 13-year-old Ka'Niyah Baker to death in cold blood and then burned her to death.
According to a USA Today report, the heinous act occurred last Saturday.
On that day, the local police received a call from Ka'Niyah's foster family reporting her missing. A large-scale search operation followed, which soon came to a terrible end.
The 13-year-old's lifeless body was found behind an abandoned house about 32 kilometers from her home. Ka'Niyah's body was covered in severe injuries and was also burned beyond recognition.
In fact, the burns were so severe that she could only be identified after a DNA test.
Both perpetrators were already known to the police
According to the police, the two perpetrators were already known to the officers. They were both "runaways" who had only recently been expelled from school. Both had already been charged with arson, illegal possession of weapons and assault. Proceedings were also underway against the 16-year-old because she had cut off her anklet on her own.
The two teenage girls were located and arrested by the policeshortly after the bodies were found. Their sentences are still being negotiated at the moment.