Just days after a body was found in a lake in Newport News, Virginia, the remains have been identified as a 16-year-old girl who had been missing for three weeks.
Police confirmed on Thursday, April 9, that the body discovered in Mariners’ Lake on Monday, April 6, is Marwa Barakzai.
She was last seen on March 19, and a large-scale search that involved officers, volunteers, boats equipped with sonar and K-9 units that combed through wooded areas followed.
Police said that Barakzai was last seen when she asked her school bus driver to drop her off at a different location than usual, according to 13 News Now. Investigators noted that she left behind her laptop, which raised concerns and led investigators to intensify the search efforts.
Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said during a news conference on April 9 that Barakzai’s body had been in the water for weeks. Additionally, Drew said she was still in the same clothes she was wearing at the time she went missing.
Her remains were not in good condition when she was found, so the identification was made by using dental records.
Drew added that the medical examiner found no signs of foul play.
“There were no signs of struggle, no strangulation, no sexual assault and no trauma,” he said. “We asked if there were any signs of foul play, and the answer was no.”
Authorities have not determined Barakzai’s cause of death, adding they would not comment on if her death involved suicide due to the ongoing investigation.
“Out of respect for the family and what we’ve uncovered, we’re going to wait until the detective finishes their work,” Drew said.
A toxicology report is currently pending, which police said could take six to eight weeks to complete.
Drew said that the case was emotional both for investigators and the community, and he told reporters that he personally helped carry Barakzai’s body when she was located.
“When you connect with a family, that matters,” he said. “We want them to know how much we care.”
While her body has been found, authorities acknowledged that there are still several unanswered questions when it comes to her disappearance. However, they said that locating Barakzai’s body will hopefully allow the community and her loved ones to begin the healing process.
Barakzai’s family held funeral services for the teen on the afternoon of Friday, April 10.
