Berkeley Police, Gateway Search Dogs follow new lead in disappearance of Shemika Cosey
The Berkeley Police Department and Gateway Search Dogs conducted a search Tuesday, March 31, in the 6100 block of Jefferson Avenue as part of the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Shemika Cosey. The teen went missing 17 years ago. “I was tasked with taking over the Shemika Cosey case,” said Officer Ryan Young of […] The post Berkeley Police, Gateway Search Dogs follow new lead in disappearance of Shemika Cosey appeared first on St. Louis American.
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The Berkeley Police Department and Gateway Search Dogs conducted a search Tuesday, March 31, in the 6100 block of Jefferson Avenue as part of the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Shemika Cosey. The teen went missing 17 years ago.
“I was tasked with taking over the Shemika Cosey case,” said Officer Ryan Young of the Berkeley Police Department. “We’re following up on leads right now. We’re investigating, trying to find out where she could be.”
Cosey was 16 when she vanished while spending the night at her cousin’s home. “My niece said they stayed up to like 1:30 a.m. watching movies,” Cosey’s mother, Paula Hill, told the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. “And when she went to bed, Shemika was there on the couch in the living room.”
The next morning, Cosey’s aunt noticed the teen was gone and the door was unlocked. Her purse and jacket were missing, but her clothes and overnight bag were still inside the home. “That’s when she called me and asked me, ‘Did Shemika come home?’” Hill told NCMEC. “And I said, ‘no.’ She was like, ‘Shemika is not here.’”
Officer Young, now assigned to lead the case, said the department received a tip that prompted Tuesday’s search but could not share additional details due to the fact that it is an active investigation.
Hill was present as officers and search dogs combed the area, describing a swirl of emotions as she watched. “I’m nervous, scared. I’m a little angry because of how long it’s been,” she said. “I mean, I’m just all over the place right now. I just want some answers.”
Her friend, Theda Wilson, stood beside her—reflecting on the long road the family has traveled. “I think about how many administrations we’ve gone through since the disappearance of my friend’s baby,” Wilson said. “All I could do is thank Gateway Search Dogs for bringing out their search dogs and for the officers who are now willing to do what we wanted done years ago.”
Berkeley officers and Gateway Search Dogs excavated at the Jefferson Avenue property into the afternoon, with one backyard marked for a more in‑depth examination.
This story is developing. More information will be provided once it becomes available.
The post Berkeley Police, Gateway Search Dogs follow new lead in disappearance of Shemika Cosey appeared first on St. Louis American.
