Police investigate teen girl found dead in car trunk in Tupelo

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Tupelo Police are investigating the death of a 16-year-old girl, whose body was found in the trunk of a car.

The discovery was made around 3 a.m. Tuesday morning in the trunk of a car that had been left in a daycare parking lot. What began as a call for a welfare check quickly turned into a murder investigation.

“The police were everywhere,” said Jerry, a neighbor.

That is what residents in this central Tupelo neighborhood woke up to Tuesday morning: a heavy police presence, after the body of a teenager, identified by Lee County Coroner Carolyn Green as 16-year-old Denasia McGregory, was found in a car’s trunk.

Tupelo police closed part of Stone Street as evidence was gathered and the search began for a suspect.

Jerry didn’t want his face on camera but has lived in the area for years. He said the entire neighborhood was rocked by the morning’s events.

“It’s usually quiet, you hear cars coming through revving engines, but violence, we don’t have that on this street, it was a surprise for us to see something so close,” said Jerry.

We are told after the suspect left the car in the parking lot, he went to a nearby house on Stone Street and told one of the occupants he was waiting for his mom to come pick him up. Police found him in that house and he was arrested.

Jerry said he watched events unfold, as the suspect was taken into custody. He said the entire situation is shocking and tragic.

“That’s two lives messed up, hers is gone and his is ruined, and both sides of each family have to suffer the loss of this tragedy,” said Jerry.

McGregory’s body has been sent to the state medical examiner’s office in Pearl for an autopsy. We are also waiting to hear from Tupelo police about any charges filed in the case.

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