Teen Was Allegedly Kidnapped and Raped. Were Final Moments Captured in Horrifying Texts. ‘It’s a Group Effort’

Three Missouri men have been charged after the body of 18-year-old Kaniah Jennings was discovered roughly 10 days after she was reported missing.

Jennings was last seen in Hayti, Mo., on Nov. 3, according to the Hayti Police Department. Authorities later located her body in rural Pemiscot County on Nov. 14.

Prosecutors have charged 18-year-old Blake Patrick, 34-year-old Kennan Peoples, and 38-year-old Donald Peoples Jr. with murder in connection with Jennings’ death. (Online court records spell Kennan’s name as “Keenan.”)

Investigators say Jennings endured alarming abuse before her death. A probable cause statement indicates Kennan and Patrick allegedly picked her up from her home in Portageville on Nov. 3 and brought her to the Hayti residence where they lived.

Patrick allegedly told police that both he and Kennan had sex with Jennings and that Kennan “placed socks in Jennings’ mouth.” He also alleged that Jennings was tied up with a blanket placed over her head.

A redacted portion of the probable cause statement details alleged text messages exchanged between Donald and Kennan later that night, which authorities believe referred to Jennings, who may have been held against her will.

Kennan allegedly wrote to Donald to “take your sweet time getting home” because he was “playing with a woman tonight.” Donald allegedly responded, “Do your thang,” before asking about “the white boy.” Kennan later texted, “It’s a group effort.”

Jennings’ disappearance triggered a widespread search effort, with supporters sharing information through a Facebook group called “Justice for Kaniah Jennings.” One post honors Jennings as a high school senior who “had so much more to live for” and promises to seek justice “until the men that hurt you are behind bars for the rest of their lives.”

A GoFundMe created to help cover funeral expenses says the family’s loss “has shattered our hearts, and we’re now left trying to give her the dignity, love, and farewell she deserves.”

Kennan now faces a first-degree murder charge, according to the Pemiscot County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Patrick and Donald are charged with accessory to first-degree murder.

Kennan and Patrick are also charged with kidnapping and rape. Patrick faces additional charges of tampering with a motor vehicle, stealing a firearm, and theft. Kennan and Donald are charged with tampering with physical evidence.

Donald has pleaded not guilty, per online court records. Plea information and attorney listings were not yet available online for Kennan and Patrick.