Search on for Florida toddler after mother found slain
Searchers are combing the area around a Florida apartment complex for a missing 2-year-old boy whose mother was found slain in their apartment
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Searchers combed the area around a Florida apartment complex Friday for a missing 2-year-old boy whose mother was found slain in their apartment, police said.
St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway said the boy's father, 21-year-old Thomas Mosley, is considered a “person of interest” in the killing of the mother, 20-year-old Pashun Jeffery.
But the father is hospitalized with cuts on his hands and arms, Holloway said — and 2-year-old Taylen Mosley is nowhere to be found. The police chief said Thomas Mosley, who has not been charged with a crime, is not cooperating with investigators as he recovers.
“We are going to continue to search throughout our city. Our goal is to find Taylen,” Holloway said at a news conference Friday at the apartment complex where Jeffery died. “The father is not talking to us.”
The FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement have joined local authorities in the search, which includes dive teams looking in lakes that dot the area as well as drones doing a grid search.
“We want to make sure we check everything in this area,” Holloway said. “This is all hands on deck.”
Jeffery and her son were last seen by family members around 5:20 p.m. Wednesday. Police say later, around 8:30 p.m., neighbors heard a loud commotion near their apartment but police were not called.
The next day, Jeffery's mother contacted the apartment complex property manager after not hearing from her daughter. That's when they found her dead in what Holloway described as “a very violent crime scene.” Police have not revealed how Jeffery was killed.
Thomas Mosley went to his mother's house about 9 p.m. Wednesday with the cuts on his arms and hands, Holloway said, and then admitted himself to a local hospital.
A search including neighbors and other volunteers is being organized for Saturday if the boy is not found by then. The boy is described as Black, with black hair and brown eyes, about 2 feet (0.6 meters) tall and weighing about 30 pounds (13 kilograms).
Family members said Jeffery and Taylen had just moved into the apartment complex about a month ago.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.