Missing Missouri Teen’s Body Found In Wooded Area; 3 People Being Questioned

KEY POINTS

The body of Mikayla Jones, 18, was found in a wooded area off of a highway
Jones was last seen alive on May 5
Her death is believed to have been a result of a drug overdose

An 18-year-old Missouri woman who went missing earlier this month was found dead Thursday in a wooded area off of a highway. Authorities are now interrogating three people, including a woman, in connection with her death.

Mikayla Jones, 18, was last seen alive on Pierce Road, Caledonia on May 5, 2021, according to a missing persons alert released previously. She was formally reported missing on May 7.

Washington County Sheriff Zach Jacobsen said Sunday that her death is believed to have been a result of a drug overdose. "We believe it was an overdose and they improperly disposed of her body," WFLA quoted Jacobsen, as saying. Authorities are waiting for the toxicology report to make an official declaration.

Jacobsen said the three suspects were with Jones when she died. He slammed the three individuals for not alerting the authorities on time. Jacobsen said the three suspects could evade the police interrogation under the Good Samaritan Law if they informed authorities instead of dumping Jones’ body on the side of the road.

"These people could have called 911 and done the humane thing and got her help and if it was beyond help the family would have immediate closure. But they didn’t call 911 they didn’t call anybody they acted like cowards and dumped her body on the side of the road," Jacobsen said, according to WFLA. "If they just called for help they’d be fine by now."

Two of the suspects, identified as Andrew Franklin Pierce and Ethan Civey, are facing charges of evidence tampering, abandonment of a corpse, and hindering prosecution. The third suspect wasn’t named and she isn’t facing charges in connection with Jones’ death.

"There’s a law that protects these people that allows them to [seek medical assistance for a person who overdosed]. If there’d been 10 pounds of fentanyl in there, if they’d called 911 and said she overdosed, there’s nothing we can do. The Good Samaritan Law in Missouri allows this to happen," Sheriff Jacobsen said, according to the Daily Journal.

Under The Good Samaritan Law, a who seeks medical help for drug overdose is spared prosecution.