Evidence Ablaze: Kei’Mani Latigue

In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: When 13-year-old Kei’Mani Latigue vanished from Toledo, Ohio in March 2025, the community feared the worst—but no one was prepared for what they would find. Discovered mutilated in a burned-out home, her murder would spark a harrowing investigation revealing a history of alleged abuse, missed warnings, and systemic failure. 

This is the story of Kei'Mani Latigue. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today's story
takes us to Toledo, Ohio, where, in the spring of
twenty twenty five, a thirteen year old girl disappeared. Days later,

(00:22):
her body was found utilated and discarded in a burned
out house. What followed was a chilling investigation into betrayal, abuse,
and systemic failure. This is the story of Kimani Latti.
March sixteenth, twenty twenty five, the day Kimani, just days

(00:48):
away from her fourteenth birthday, was last seen alive. She
was born on March twenty eighth, and according to her grandmother,
Dorothy Latigue, she wanted a basketball themed party for the occasion.
She had been living with her grandmother, her legal guardian,
for the past five years. Though her grandmother had only

(01:10):
been awarded official guardianship about a year ago, it appeared
as if she was raising Kimani on her own. Two
days later, on March eighteenth, she was reported missing. At first,
there was hope. Family, neighbors, and classmates began distributing flyers

(01:34):
candlelight vigils were planned. Social media filled with photos of Kimani,
who's described as an intelligent, old soul who enjoyed spending
time with family and friends. Dorothy also described her as
a helper and enjoyed playing basketball. A classmate said Kimani
was very kind even when people messed with her. But

(01:59):
behind the scenes, police were already suspecting something much darker.
March twenty fourth, just eight days after Kimani vanished, firefighters
responded to a fire in an abandoned home on Miami
Street in Toledo, Ohio. Inside amidst the chart debris, they

(02:22):
made a horrific discovery the body of a young girl.
It was Kimani. She had suffered multiple insized wounds to
her neck, her throat was slashed so severely she was
nearly decapitated. Her hands had been severed, and there were

(02:43):
also signs of sexual assault. The brutality of the murder
shocked even seasoned investigators, and the clues quickly began to surface.
Detectives traced her last no movements to be with her
biological father, thirty three year old Darnel Jones Ogletree, who

(03:05):
was also known to go by Darnell Ogletree, and what
they began to piece together changed the entirety of the case.
Police alleged Jones took Kimani from her home without the
consent of her guardian, which would be her grandmother. Swott
had been following his movements for a few days and

(03:27):
had knowledge of him being armed and dangerous when they
finally decided to close in on him. On March twenty fifth,
one day after Kimani's body was found, Jones was located
in Columbus, Ohio. He had barricaded himself inside a home,
armed and refused to surrender. After firing shots at police,

(03:53):
he was struck himself and wounded by law enforcement. He
later confirmed in court he was shot in the back
by Columbus police before they arrested him. He remained in
the hospital until April ninth, before being held in a
Columbus jail. Following his arrest, he was charged with a

(04:14):
laundry list of crimes, including aggravated murder, rape, and kidnapping,
a total of fifteen charges. Others included felony, child endangerment,
abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. Due to
the severity of his alleged crimes. Prosecutors confirmed that Jones

(04:37):
would be eligible for the death penalty. According to authorities,
he provided inconsistent statements multiple times throughout questioning and eventually
admitted to the heinous crimes himself. He admitted to inflicting
the wounds that ultimately led to kimon death. The Lucas

(05:02):
County Coroner's office ruled Kimani's death a homicide, with the
reason being the slashes to her, making matters even worse.
The abandoned house where Kimani's body was found hot fire
on April nineteen, twenty twenty five. Authorities suspect it was

(05:22):
an arson attack, but if that was the case, who
would set the house ablaze? Since the fire, the home
was demolished, possibly destroying any potential evidence that might have
initially been overlooked. In court, Darnell Jones Ogletree pleaded not guilty,

(05:45):
and his bond was originally set at four million dollars.
During a court hearing on Wednesday, April thirtieth, that all changed.
His bond was revoked after the defense argued that they
needed more time to establish what his bail should actually be,
and the judge agreed, but said that bail could be

(06:08):
an option again in the future, and gave the defense
more time to build a case until June twenty seventh.
But it wasn't just the physical evidence that painted a
picture of guilt. It was what had been happening before
Kimani ever disappeared. Kimani was a seventh grader at Toledo

(06:31):
Public Schools Spring Elementary, and there her former teacher had
contacted Lucas County Children's Services twice in the months leading
up to Kimani's death. She had seen bruises, heard Kimani
talk about being scared and fearful of going home, but

(06:53):
nothing was done. Even after two visits from the Lucas
County Children's Services to Kimani's home, investigators found no reason
to remove her from the home. In response to the findings,
a Lucas County Children's Services spokesperson said they were advised

(07:16):
by the Lucas County Prosecutor's Office that quote nothing is
public record at this time. The community mourned and continues
to mourn the aftermath of Kimani's death. Over one hundred
people gathered at a vigil, holding candles and placing flowers
near the now destroyed house where she was found. Kimani

(07:42):
Latigue was a bright, kind hearted girl. She was sweet, generous,
and caring. Her former teacher believes Kimani absolutely would still
be here if those investigators would have taken their calls
more seriously. In the weeks after Kimani Latigue's death, another

(08:04):
battle had started to brew, not in the streets, but
in the courts. Her biological mother, Tiara Casten and her grandmother,
Dorothy Lettigue, both wanted to plan Kimani's funeral, but only
one had seemed to be in the picture fully. Dorothy

(08:26):
had raised Kimani for the last five years, being awarded
full legal guardianship a year prior. On April eighth, inside
a Lucas County courtroom, the decision was made and a
judge ruled in Dorothy's favor, citing the deep bond she

(08:47):
shared with her granddaughter. Her plans to hold a proper
funeral for Kimani and to cremate the remains, Dorothy told
the court she didn't want a spectacle. On April eleventh,
the city of Toledo gathered at the West Toledo YMCA
for a public memorial. Handles flickered as photos of Kimani

(09:11):
glowed on poster boards. My thoughts and prayers are with
Kimani's family, friends, and her entire community as they continue
to mourn this tragedy and as the case continues to
unfold in court. As we close out this episode, don't
forget to hit the follow button to stay updated on

(09:33):
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Thank you so much for joining us on another episode

(09:54):
until next time. Hunting for Answers is a production of
the Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the
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(10:16):
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.