17-year-old went missing 10 years ago. Her body was just found, Kentucky police say
The body of a Kentucky teenager who went missing a decade ago has been found in Ohio.
Paige Johnson was 17 years old when she went missing in September 2010, according to Covington, Kentucky police. Her disappearance led to an extensive search, vigils and pleas by her family for clues, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Jacob Bumpass, the last person believed to have seen Johnson before she went missing, told investigators that he dropped her off at an intersection in Covington after they attended a party, the newspaper reported.
However, investigators said his cell phone records disputed that, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Instead, his phone records led police to search of a state park in Ohio, but they found nothing, the newspaper reported.
Bumpass was not charged in Johnson’s disappearance.
On Sunday, a woman called 911 to report that her husband was deer hunting when he found what appeared to be a human skull that was burned, WFIE reported. Her remains were found on Sunday and investigators have continued searching the area , finding other evidence believed to be human remains, police said.
The coroner identified the body as Johnson’s using dental records, WFIE reported.
Her body was found about two miles away from where investigators searched 10 years ago, WCPO reported.
“I always said that someday, somebody is going to accidentally find her,” Johnson’s sister, Brittany Haywood, told the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Now police say they will investigate the cause of death, WKRC reported.
Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney Rob Sanders said people lied or didn’t cooperate with investigators during the initial search for Johnson, WKRC reported.
“There’s probably at least a couple people out there who ought to be really nervous right about now and I’m glad,” Sanders said during a news conference. “Because those are people who could’ve brought some compassion and some answers to Paige’s family a long, long time ago, and they chose not to do that.”