An 18-year-old man has been charged with malice murder after police searching a vehicle in Smyrna, Georgia, found human remains believed to belong to missing woman Shanteria “KT” Mosley.
Kingston Lammar Bradley was already being held on suspicion of concealing a death when Smyrna police announced the further charge on Friday, 25 September. The Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office is working to formally confirm the woman’s identity.
Detectives found several rubbish bags in the boot of a vehicle during a search warrant. One tightly wrapped bag appeared to contain part of a body, prompting investigators to call the medical examiner’s office, police said.
Medical examiner staff later confirmed that the bags contained human remains. Police said the evidence gathered so far indicated they were those of Ms Mosley, who was known to relatives and friends as KT.
Witnesses saw suspect carrying container
The discovery came after officers were called to Park Valley Apartments on Valley Parkway on Wednesday evening following reports that Ms Mosley’s phone and vehicle were at the complex.
An officer attended at about 6.57pm, knocked on doors and spoke to residents, but left after around 30 minutes. Police said they had not then been told that the case involved a critical missing person or an immediate threat.
Officers returned at about 8.16pm after witnesses reported seeing Bradley carrying a tote from an apartment. According to investigators, he dropped the container on a dirt path and ran towards a nearby flat after realising he had been seen.
A dismembered torso was found inside the container, police said. A subsequent search of Bradley’s apartment uncovered blood-stained areas, a blood-covered saw, a mop, a bucket of water and a carpet cleaner, along with a strong smell of bleach.
Police Lieutenant Meredith Holt said investigators had recovered a significant amount of material from several search warrants but had not directly linked Bradley to an instrument used in the dismemberment.
“This is a particularly gruesome crime,” Lt Holt said. “I cannot imagine what the family is going through.”
Investigators are still trying to establish how Ms Mosley and Bradley knew each other and why she was at the apartment. Police have not disclosed how she died or confirmed who owned the vehicle in which the remains were found.
Reports that Ms Mosley may have been making a DoorDash delivery when she disappeared are also being examined. Lt Holt said she had a DoorDash account, but company records showed she was not logged in or accepting deliveries that day.
Police said they had found no evidence linking the case to other victims or crimes, although information will be shared with other law enforcement databases. Canine teams and officers from neighbouring agencies have helped search the apartment complex.
Bradley, who lived at the property with his father, has not given a statement to police. He appeared before a Cobb County magistrate judge on Thursday and was denied bail. His next court hearing is scheduled for October.
He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
