Police arrest murderer of missing teen
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police have arrested a 15-year-old boy in the murder of a 14-year-old girl who had been missing for weeks.
Thursday night police collected evidence at the home of 15-year-old Jason Hartley. "Neica Gibbs and Jason Hartley were together inside his residence. They became involved in a verbal and physical altercation, which ultimately lead to the death," said Sergeant Frank Sousa of Fort Lauderdale Police.
Police added that Hartley then removed Gibbs' body from his residence and placed it behind the dumpster where it was located on Thursday.
Officials said Neica Marie Gibbs was reported missing about three weeks ago. Gibbs' grandmother said she had promise and felt devastated to hear that police found her dead. "She goes to school all the time, and everybody here is sad, and they never thought this would happen," said Barbara Queer.
For several weeks residents who live at a trailer park complained of a foul odor coming from the dumpster in the complex located at Southwest Eight Avenue and Sixth Drive.
Tuesday night, Lorraine Boggess, who happens to be Hartley's mother, made the discovery of Gibbs' decomposed body. "I thought it was a dead animal at first because I found dead animals in there before. The smell has been here for at least three weeks," she said, "so I went in there and started going around cleaning it, and there was a blue tarp, and I started pulling it out, and I saw the skull fell out, and then I saw the body. It was wrapped in a blue tarp. Somebody deliberately put it there that way."
Officials have yet to determine the cause of death. "The body definitely had been deceased for quite some period of time," said Sousa.
Those in the congregation at the church Gibbs attended were shocked by the news of her murder. "She's an angel, she's an angel. I don't think she deserved what she got," said Pastor Wayne Manning.
Prayers, candles and messages now surround the spot where Boggess found Gibbs' body.
Police gave charged Hartley with one count of homicide.
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