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Police Find Body Of Missing Cheerleader In Woods Behind Her Backyard
Ke’Asia Adkins's phone went dead — and she never showed up to cheerleading practice.
The body of a missing 17-year-old cheerleader was found in a wooded area behind her North Dinwiddie, Va., home on Thursday, days after she vanished.
The Dinwiddie County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a body found near her home was that of Ke’Asia Andrea Adkins.
The teen went missing on Monday morning. She had left for school but never showed up to cheerleading practice at Dinwiddie High School. Adkins just recently made the school’s varsity team.
“Sometime Monday morning her phone went dead,” her sister Kendra Green told WTVR in Richmond. “Since, no response and straight to voicemail.”
Police noted that it was atypical of Adkins to run away. In fact, it was the first time she ever lost touch with her family.
Days after disappearance, police found her body while searching the woods behind her home, The Associated Press reported. Her body has been sent to the state medical examiner’s office in Richmond for an autopsy.
Although her cause of death has not yet been released, an arrest has been made. Police announced on Thursday that they arrested Anton Deonte Coleman, 21, and charged him with one count of abduction in relation to the cheerleader’s disappearance. He’s being held without bail. It’s not clear if he has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf at this time. Also unclear is the relationship between Coleman and Adkins, if any.
“It is a very sad day for Dinwiddie High School,” school officials said in a statement. “The thoughts and prayers of the entire Dinwiddie County Public Schools’ community go out to her family. Ke’Asia was a beautiful young lady who was a General through and through. She will be greatly missed by the entire Dinwiddie High School family, especially her friends, teammates, teachers and staff.”
According to Adkins' Facebook page, she also worked as a cashier at a Burger King.
Police are asking anyone with information about Adkins’ disappearance or death to contact detectives by calling 804-469-4550.
[Photo: Dinwiddie County Sheriff’s Office]
