by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
A 16-year-old Black girl from Charlotte, North Carolina, was found dead on church property more than a week after she was reported missing.
Juliana Nzita was reported missing on April 28, 2026. Her family and community members searched for her as posts and tips circulated on social media. Nzita had been living in North Carolina after moving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On May 8, community volunteer Kenneth Tolbert, known as “Mufasa,” said he discovered what appeared to be the body of a teenage girl near West Sugar Creek Road on property linked to The United House of Prayer for All People.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department records confirmed Nzita was pronounced dead at 12:40 p.m. that day in the 4200 block of West Sugar Creek Road. Police classified the death as a suicide in official notes.
Tolbert said he alerted nearby church members and contacted police. He also said video from the scene showed a small blue chair beneath a tree and a rope above. A church member reportedly said the area had been checked the day before and nothing unusual was seen.
The church has not released a public statement, and police said they did not receive a response from Nzita’s family when contacted.
The case has stirred concern because Nzita was a missing child, a Black immigrant teen, and was found in a public religious space. Her death remains a painful reminder of the urgency of missing-person searches and the need for clear communication with grieving families.