Missouri: Potential Kidnapping, Rape Case Witness Found Dead

Months after a grand jury indicted Timothy Haslett Jr., a Missouri man accused of holding a Black woman captive in his basement on nine charges, a crucial potential witness in the kidnapping and rape case has been found dead, according to ABC News.

The announcement was made by Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson in a press release on Monday.

The remains, found on June 24, have been positively identified as Jaynie Crosdale, aged 36, the potential Missouri witness in the case against Haslett Jr.

However, the circumstances surrounding Crosdale's death remain unclear, and an autopsy is pending to determine the cause of her death.

According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, Crosdale's body was discovered in the Missouri River.

The investigation into her death is ongoing, and authorities will work to uncover any relevant information regarding her involvement in the case and the circumstances surrounding her passing.

Potential Missouri Witness Jaynie Crosdale Was Also Timothy Haslett Jr.'s Victim

After the positive identification of Jaynie Crosdale, prosecutors in the case against Timothy Haslett Jr., who is accused of holding a Black woman captive in his basement, are seeking even higher charges.

Crosdale's body was discovered in the Missouri River by kayakers more than a month ago, per FOX 4.

Police and prosecutors had searched for her for some time, even making public pleas as early as January.

In response to the news of her death, Crosdale's family expressed deep sadness and relief that they could now give her a proper burial.

They emphasized that she was not just a witness in the Missouri kidnapping and rape case but also a victim of Haslett's.

However, the Clay County Prosecutor's Office has not yet released further information. It has not confirmed whether they believe Crosdale was killed.

Timothy Haslett Jr.'s Kidnapping and Rape Case

The case of Timothy Haslett Jr. has raised significant concerns among Missouri's Black Kansas City community leaders, who believed that police were not taking reports of missing Black women seriously enough.

This issue garnered national media attention, shedding light on the importance of addressing the disparities in handling such cases.

Haslett has been in jail since October, facing charges of kidnapping, rape, and other crimes, Kansa City Star noted.

The case came to light when a 22-year-old woman ran down his street, barely clothed and wearing a collar locked around her neck, pleading for help from neighbors.

This incident led to a three-day search of Haslett's house by Excelsior Springs police, KCPD forensics investigators, and the FBI.

A cadaver dog was also brought in to examine his rental property and a pickup truck, although no public findings were disclosed.

The details from court papers revealed that the escaped woman had been picked up somewhere on Prospect Avenue in early September.

She remained captive for several weeks in a basement room that Haslett had constructed, where she experienced repeated rape and abuse.

In late September, Bishop Tony Caldwell of Eternal Life Church in Kansas City, Missouri, posted on Facebook, making claims of young Black women going missing from Prospect in south Kansas City and dead bodies being found in the area.

These concerns were echoed by The Kansas City Defender, a Black-led digital news outlet. However, the police refuted these claims, stating that they had no active reported cases of young Black women missing or killed during that time.

They later clarified that no missing persons cases were linked to the investigation of Haslett, who was arrested about two weeks later.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Family speaks after possible witness in Missouri kidnapping case found dead - From FOX 4 News Kansas City