Early Sunday morning, authorities confirmed that Shavon Randle, a missing Texas 13-year-old who spawned an Amber Alert last week, had been found dead. The Lancaster, Texas teen’s body, along with that of an unidentified male, were discovered in a Dallas home around 3:00 Sunday according to Dallas FBI special agent Eric Jackson.
Police officers reportedly found the remains of Shavon Randle and the unidentified man when responding to shots fired at the Dallas home.
As NBCDFW 5 reports, Texas teen Shavon Randle was first reported missing on Wednesday. Police determined that the 13-year-old had been taken from her home by an unidentified man. It is unknown at this time whether the unidentified man who abducted Shavon was the same unidentified man whose body was found in the same Dallas home as the teen.
Police quickly issued an Amber Alert in the brazen alleged abduction, telling the public that Shavon Randle’s abductor went so far as to call her family and confirm that they had the teen. Later, Randle’s alleged abductor reportedly called back using her own cell phone to warn the family against contacting police, says Lancaster Police Department Detective Joseph Brickett.
“They confirmed that they knew who the victim was and they said, ‘Well, we have her. Then they called back later on the victim’s cell phone and said, ‘If you call law enforcement, then we’ll harm her.’”
Investigators were initially able to use Shavon Randle’s cell phone location to track the Texas teen and her abductors. However, before the Amber Alert could be brought to a safe, positive conclusion, her phone was apparently powered off. Police and the Dallas FBI were, however, able to utilize the information from the early hours of her disappearance to seek out surveillance videos, witnesses, and other information in the case.
Sources say #MichaelTitus double-crossed is friends. He robbed the members of the his crew of drugs they themselves stole previously.
— Jeffery Myers:UNLEASHED (@jefferymyers) July 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/Kimbecki2/status/881612675880329216
Nooo! ??
— Lost In Texas (@LostInTexas_) July 2, 2017
Just sad….. hope the killers/kidnappers rot…..
— Lue (@HG_637) July 2, 2017
Because police believed Shavon to be in “immediate or grave danger,” the Amber Alert in the case was issued almost immediately.
On Thursday, investigators spoke to two persons of interest in the abduction of missing Texas teen Shavon Randle, 25-year-old Laporshya Polley and 26-year-old Darius Field. By Saturday, two more persons of interest in the case, Devontae Owens and Laquon Wilkerson, were taken into custody by local police and Dallas FBI agents.
BREAKING: Lancaster PD is looking for 4 ‘persons of interest’ in the kidnapping of 13-year-old Shavon Randle. https://t.co/qvzR4kTp49 pic.twitter.com/9LWBxoezyg
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) June 30, 2017
Still considered a person of interest in the case of deceased 13-year-old abduction victim Shavon Randle is 19-year-old Michael Titus. While neither Lancaster police nor the Dallas FBI has released the name of the unidentified male found dead with Randle, Michael Titus’ mother claims that the male victim is her son.
. @NBCDFW @Maria_NBC5 The mother of Michael Titus says the man found dead in this Dallas house w/ 13yr old #ShavonRandle is her son. pic.twitter.com/U8p9fQAMni
— Nefty Gonzalez (@NBC5photog) July 2, 2017
Local media is reporting that, according to the family of Titus, Shavon Randle was kidnapped over nothing more than a drug dispute. She had been babysitting at the time of her abduction.
Titus family identifies man in photo as Michael Titus; says #ShavonRandle was kidnapped over drug dispute pic.twitter.com/PREEvoB0zy
— Gabriel Roxas (@gabriel__roxas) July 2, 2017
According to FBI agents, they were so quickly able to identify persons of interest in the disappearance 13-year-old Randle due to the assistance of the public.
At this point, it is unclear how long Shavon may have been deceased by the time her body was discovered. The Lancaster Police Department and Dallas FBI are still actively investigating the crime that led to the Amber Alert and, ultimately, the death of Texas teen Shavon Randle.
***Update: CBSDFW reports that authorities have identified the second body at the Shavon Randle murder scene as that of Michael Titus, formerly a person of interest in her abduction. According to his mother, Angel, her son was not a perpetrator of this crime, but rather another victim.
“My child is not responsible for this. If he was responsible for this, he would not be dead.”
Growing memorial at abandoned Dallas home where 13yo Shavon Randle, 19yo Michael Titus found dead pic.twitter.com/04cfRi5tN5
— Homa Bash (@HomaBashWEWS) July 2, 2017
The Dallas FBI has vowed to continue their investigation into the of Texas 13-year-old Shavon Randle.
“Anyone that we find that were involved in this heinous crime against Shavon we will bring you to justice, and we will hold you accountable.’
According to special agent Jackson, anyone who is found to be involved in the abduction and murder will be held accountable.***
[Featured Image by Dallas FBI/ Twitter ]
