VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Police have released the identities of the mother and 14-year-old daughter who were killed inside a Van Buren Township apartment, and the mother’s boyfriend has been arrested.
Van Buren Township officers were called at 11 p.m. Sunday (July 25) to the Belleville Pointe Apartment Complex in the 46000 block of Lake Villa Drive, according to authorities.
When they arrived, police said they found Yachanda Snipes, 45, and Dacara Leatherberry, 14, dead from multiple stab injuries.
When family members didn’t hear from the pair for a few days, they got concerned. Officials said the bodies were originally discovered by a cousin during a well-being check.
“He started banging on doors and asking for people to call 911,” neighbor Isiah Stevens said.
Snipes was found dead in the kitchen, police said. Her daughter was in another room, according to officials.
“The door was unlocked when (the cousin) walked in and he saw them,” Stevens said. “He said he turned the corner and saw the lady. The girl was in the back somewhere.”
Detectives arrested a 47-year-old man Tuesday in Pontiac, authorities said. He is currently a parolee and on tether, officials said. Police believe he was in a dating relationship with Snipes.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office will review the case and make a decision on charges.