Missing 18-year-old Independence woman found dead in south KC, police say
Investigators found a missing person dead in south Kansas City Saturday, police said in a news release.
Family of Elayjah Murray, 18, notified the Independence Police Department on Friday of her disappearance. As they began to investigate, police learned from a tip that Murray may have been shot in Independence, said Officer Bryan Conley, a police spokesman.
Detectives continued to follow up on leads Friday night after the tip about a shooting. On Saturday, Murray was found dead in south Kansas City, Conley said in a news release.
Police did not say if Murray had any apparent gunshot wounds when she was found dead.
The circumstances surrounding her death are still being investigated, but the incident has been classified a homicide, Conley said.
As of Saturday afternoon, no one was arrested in connection with her death. Police are pursuing suspect leads, Conley said in an email.
No other information was immediately available Saturday.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Independence Police Department or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.
This story was originally published November 29, 2025 at 3:34 PM.
