Missing daughter of N.J. anti-violence activist was kidnapped, killed, sheriff says – NJ.com

The missing 15-year-old daughter of a Newark anti-violence activist was kidnapped and murdered after leaving her home in South Carolina, a local sheriff said.

The three-week search for Sanaa Amenhotep ended early Thursday when investigators discovered her body in a wooded-area of Lexington County, South Carolina, according to officials.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka called the killing a tragedy and offered his condolences to Sanaa’s father, Sharif Malik Amenhotep, a member of the city’s Brick City Peace Collective.

“On behalf of the people of Newark, I would like to express my sincere condolences to Sharif Malik Amenhotep, on the tragic loss of his beautiful and intelligent Black daughter, Sanaa Amenhotep, who was kidnapped and murdered in South Carolina,” Baraka said.

“Mr. Amenhotep works tirelessly to increase justice and reduce violence in our neighborhoods through our Brick City Peace Collective, helping us to re-imagine public safety and prevent tragedies such as this from taking place in our very own community,” the mayor said in a statement. “No parent should ever have to bury their child. It is an inexplicable loss that defies imagination.

“We hope that the South Carolina authorities can bring the suspects in this case to justice. Our entire city is joining with the Amenhotep family in their grief and pain,” Baraka added.

In South Carolina, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott told reporters a juvenile was arrested in Sanaa’s disappearance while authorities were seeking Treveon Jamar Nelson on a kidnapping warrant in the case. The two have not been charged with her death.

Investigators believe Sanaa initially left her Northeast Columbia home voluntarily April 5 with two acquaintances before she was held against her will, according to authorities.

The sheriff released few details on the circumstances surrounding her kidnapping or how she possibly knew the two suspects. He confirmed the teen was murdered, but officials declined to comment on a cause of death ahead of an autopsy scheduled for Friday.

Officials urged anyone with information about Nelson’s whereabouts to call authorities.

“We need him. He needs to be arrested. I am urging him to turn himself in,” Lott said.

Officials tirelessly investigated the case for weeks and quickly began to fear that Sanaa was in danger after she was reported missing, according to the sheriff.

“I can’t tell you how tragic and sad this case is when we lose a 15-year-old like we lost this one,” Lott said at a news conference. “I know deputies and police officers are not supposed to get emotionally involved in cases, but there is no way that when we work a case like [this], our people don’t get emotionally attached to this case.”

Family members, authorities and others in South Carolina and New Jersey shared missing persons posters of Sanaa and her father flew to Richland County to join the weeks-long search.

“She means everything to me, I just truly miss her,” Sharif Malik Amenhotep told WIS, a Columbia, South Carolina, television station, earlier this month.

Lott said Sanaa’s parents were told of her death Thursday morning.

“I told the parents that we would bring her home and we’ve done that,” the sheriff said. “Unfortunately we didn’t bring her home the way that we all had prayed and wished that we could.”

The investigation into her slaying was being led by the sheriff’s office in Lexington County, where her body was recovered.

Lexington County sheriff’s officials on Twitter confirmed an investigation was underway and there were no immediate arrests. The agency did not immediately release more information.

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Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.