An Ohio woman is behind bars after authorities discovered a 16-year-old girl’s body sealed inside a bedroom, where it had reportedly remained for at least a month.
LaRonda Anne Mitchell, 38, was arrested Tuesday following a welfare check at an Austintown home that revealed a scene investigators describe as deeply disturbing and tied to “religious healing.” The victim has been identified by the family as Donnamalay Davis.
According to police reports, officers arrived at the residence in the 1100 block of South Raccoon Road around 4 p.m. after a concerned citizen raised alarms.
The caller alleged that someone at the home claimed the teenager “was sick and needed to be healed by God,” further stating that the individual was already “gone.”
READ: Florida Fugitive Nabbed In Arkansas On 80 Counts Of CSAM
When officers first reached the home, they were met by a woman described in court documents as “standoffish.” While a 12-year-old child inside initially told police that everything was fine, a subsequent search of the property led officers to a bedroom door that had been meticulously taped shut.
Upon entering the room, police found the teenager’s remains. Investigators noted that someone in the house admitted the room was “sealed” specifically to contain the odor of decay, acknowledging the girl had been dead for several weeks.
The investigation has centered on statements from individuals at the home who allegedly told police the death “had to happen” as part of a process to “heal” the victim. Despite these claims, the Mahoning County Coroner’s Office has not yet determined the official cause or manner of death.
READ: FBI Swarms Office Of Virginia Senate Leader In Major Corruption Probe
Mitchell now faces a string of serious charges, including involuntary manslaughter, abduction, endangering children, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and a misdemeanor count of failing to report a crime.
Two other children found in the home were taken into protective custody by authorities following the discovery.
During a video arraignment, Judge Scott Hunter set Mitchell’s bond at $500,000.
She remains held at the Mahoning County Jail and is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing on May 27. Prosecutors have so far declined to offer further public comment on the specific allegations.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
