Kansas Teen, 17, Found Dead After Going to Help Longtime Adult Male Friend Clean His Home
Kansas police are searching for answers after a teen, who went to help a friend with chores, disappeared and was later found dead in the back of a semi-truck.
Jasmine Mills’ body was discovered by authorities in an industrial area near the Kansas River in Olathe, KS on Saturday — just two days after the 17-year-old was last seen heading to her longtime adult male friend’s home, the Kansas City Star reports.
Her mother Deanna Peters told the outlet that Mills often worked unique jobs to make extra cash and Thursday’s task was no different. Her daughter was hired to wake up her friend and then help him throw out trash and clean, according to Peters.
She also noted that the task did not seem out of the ordinary, as the man was reportedly a longtime pal of Mills.
“She pretty much looked at him like a dad or grandpa kind of figure,” Peters told the outlet. “I trusted her judgment because she’s known him forever.”
Officers working a death in the 1100 block of S 14th. Unknown circumstances at this time. Believed to be dead for a couple of days before reported to police. Detectives responding.
— Terry Zeigler (@KCKPDChief) June 29, 2019
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On Friday, however, Peters woke up to discover that her daughter had not come home from her job the day before. After unsuccessfully attempting to reach Mills on her cell phone, Peters reported her missing to local police, according to the Kansas City Star.
The Olathe Police Department and Kansas City Police Department conducted a search for Mills and eventually located her body on Saturday morning.
Around the time of the discovery, Kansas City Police Chief Terry Zeigler tweeted, “Officers working a death in the 1100 block of S 14th. Unknown circumstances at this time. Believed to be dead for a couple of days before reported to police. Detectives responding.”
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In a press release later issued on Twitter, OPD confirmed Mills’ identity and announced that her death was being investigated as suspicious.
“On June 29th, 2019, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Olathe Police Officers were dispatched to the 1100 block of South 12th Street in Kansas City, Kansas in reference to a suspicious death,” they wrote. “The deceased was identified as Jasmine Mills, a 17-year-old white female from Olathe, Kansas.”
The industrial area, located near the Kansas River, is reportedly surrounded by junkyards, railroad tracks, and an abundance of semi-trucks parked in rows behind tall fences, according to the Kansas City Star.
Peters also shared with the outlet that officers reportedly told her that Mills’ body was found in the back of a semi-truck.
— Olathe Police (@OlathePolice) June 30, 2019
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In the wake of her death, Mills’ family have been remembering the teen for her loving and caring nature.
“She was happy go lucky,” Peters told the outlet of her daughter. “She was sweet, kind, loving, caring and too trusting, obviously.”
Mills’ younger sister Alex Boll also paid tribute to the teen in a post on Facebook. “Rest In Paradise to the best big sister I could have ever asked for.. You were amazing and I don’t know what I’m going to do without you..”
“I didn’t get to say goodbye.. Or I love you… My last words to you were ‘I’ll see you tomorrow’ I wish I would have known you were leaving … I would have gone with you,” she continued. “I don’t know who would have hurt you… No one could have had a reason you were amazing… I don’t know what I’m going to do without you…”
At this time, it is unclear how Mills died. OPD officers noted in the tweet that the case currently remains under investigation in cooperation with the Kansas City Police Department in Kansas.
Anyone with information is asked to call Olathe Police Department at (913) 971-6950 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.
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