JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Jefferson City Police Department is reporting that six-year-old Markell Beasley was found deceased in Cape Girardeau on Tuesday night. A news release states that Markell and his suspected abductor, Demetrius Beasley, were found dead after police responded to a shots fired emergency call.
Police say that Demetrius Beasley, 40, took Markell to St. Louis with his mother’s permission for a holiday party, an event that was later discovered to be fictitious. The release refers to Demetrius as Markell’s father, but when the Amber Alert was issued an incident report stated that he was not Markell’s biological father. FOX 4 is still working to confirm the exact relationship between the two.
After taking Markell, police say that Demetrius contacted his mother and told her he did not intend to return the child. Shortly after the Amber Alert was issued, police were informed both Markell and Demetrius were in Cape Girardeau, which was followed by the shots fired call.
Police are still investigating and haven’t released further information, more is expected to be announced on Thursday morning.
