MESHAY MELENDEZ & LAYLA STEWART: Washington vs. Kirkland Warren for 2023 murder of mother and daughter *GUILTY PLEA*

‘Criminal nexus’ likely in disappearance of Vancouver mom, daughter

Vancouver police investigators said they “do believe there is a criminal nexus to Meshay and Layla’s disappearance” but can’t provide any more details due to the ongoing investiga…

www.koin.com

by: Hailey Dunn
Posted: Mar 20, 2023 / 11:11 AM PDT
Updated: Mar 20, 2023 / 11:16 AM PDT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)– Officials are asking for the public’s help finding a mother and her 8-year-old daughter who were reported missing earlier this month.

According to Vancouver police, 27-year-old Meshay Melendez and her daughter Layla Stewart were last seen in the area of Vancouver Mall Drive and Northeast 77th Avenue on the morning of March 12. Melendez’s vehicle was discovered nearby on March 19.

Melendez is described as being 5’9” and having black hair and brown eyes. Stewart is said to be 4′ with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Anyone with information on the pair’s whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Givens robert.givens@cityofvancouver.us, Detective Nolan chadd.nolan@cityofvancouver.us or call 911.

MEDIA - MESHAY MELENDEZ AND LAYLA STEWART: Missing from Vancouver, WA - 12 March 2023 - Age 27 and 8

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Missing Mother & Daughter (Photo)

The Vancouver Police Department is seeking the assistance of the public in locating 27-year-old Meshay Melendez and her 8-year-old daughter, Layla Stewart. The pair was last seen in the early morning hours of March 12 in the 7700 block of Vancouver Mall Drive. A vehicle believed to belong to Meshay

flashalert.net

Missing Mother & Daughter (Photo) - 03/19/23


The Vancouver Police Department is seeking the assistance of the public in locating 27-year-old Meshay Melendez and her 8-year-old daughter, Layla Stewart. The pair was last seen in the early morning hours of March 12 in the 7700 block of Vancouver Mall Drive. A vehicle believed to belong to Meshay was located a short distance away on March 19.



Meshay is 5’9”, 185lbs with black hair and brown eyes. Layla is about 4’, 50lbs with brown hair and hazel eyes.



If you have any information about Meshay & Layla’s whereabouts, please contact Detective Givens robert.givens@cityofvancouver.us, Detective Nolan chadd.nolan@cityofvancouver.us, or call 911.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Other news releases, same information.

Vancouver police search for missing mother, 8-year-old daughter

Meshay Melendez and her daughter, Layla Stewart, were last seen early March 12. A vehicle police believe belongs to Melendez was found March 19.

www.kgw.com

Vancouver police searching for missing mother and daughter, 8

The Vancouver Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a missing woman and her 8-year-old daughter.

www.columbian.com

Police search for missing Vancouver mother and daughter

The Vancouver Police Department is asking for the public’s help in finding a missing mother and daughter.

www.kptv.com

Police are searching for a missing Vancouver mother and daughter

Police are searching for a missing Vancouver mother and daughter

wtlocal.com

 

[Kimster]

I changed the state on you, @Summer_Breeze . The report is coming out of Portland, OR, but Vancouver is across the river in Washington state. It's confusing.

Praying these two are found safe sooner rather than later!

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

‘Criminal nexus’ likely in disappearance of Vancouver mom, daughter

Vancouver police investigators said they “do believe there is a criminal nexus to Meshay and Layla’s disappearance” but can’t provide any more details due to the ongoing investiga…

www.koin.com

‘Criminal nexus’ likely in disappearance of Vancouver mom, daughter​

Vancouver police investigators said they “do believe there is a criminal nexus to Meshay and Layla’s disappearance” but can’t provide any more details due to the ongoing investigation.

Friends who spoke with KOIN 6 News said it’s very unusual for them not to hear from Melendez. They said they went to her house after she stopped responding to calls and message.

“That was strange to me,” friend Makayla Jeter said. “I reached out to her mom and sister, and no one had spoken to her, so we went to her house and see what was going on.”

They found her dog, Honey, inside a crate inside the house. It appeared the dog had been inside the crate for some time, but there was no sign of Melendez or her daughter.

“I just knew she wasn’t there, and when I saw her dog was there, I was like no, she wouldn’t do that,” friend Makayla Jeter said. “I’m terrified. I’m terrified.”

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Social media postings indicate there may be a boyfriend involved. A boyfriend who picked them up that morning. He may or may not be in custody.
The man named, who I'm refraining from posting his name right now since he hasn't been named as a suspect, was indeed arrested yesterday (the day they found the car). His charges include violation of a protection order, assault, witness tampering, making false statements under oath, and more.

Holding my breath for these two.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Vancouver man accused of violating no-contact order with woman who’s now missing

A Vancouver man is accused of violating a no-contact order with his girlfriend, among other allegations, in a December drive-by shooting case. Vancouver police say the woman and her 7-year-old daughte

www.columbian.com

Vancouver man accused of violating no-contact order with woman who’s now missing​

A Vancouver man is accused of violating a no-contact order with his girlfriend, among other allegations, in a December drive-by shooting case. Vancouver police say the woman and her 7-year-old daughter are also now missing.

Kirkland C. Warren, 28, appeared Monday in Clark County Superior Court on new allegations of tampering with a witness, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and a protection order violation. His hearing was set over to Tuesday because the judge wanted more information about the basis for the new charges.

Before Judge John Fairgrieve postponed the hearing, Deputy Prosecutor Scott Ikata asked him to consider ordering Warren to be held without bail; alternatively, he asked the judge to increase Warren’s bail from $100,000 to $500,000. Defense attorney Megan Peyton asked Fairgrieve to keep bail as is.

In response, someone could be heard on the virtual hearing saying, “My best friend is missing because of him.”

Fairgrieve did not make any decisions on bail Monday.

Vancouver police would not confirm Monday if Warren is a suspect in the disappearances of 27-year-old Meshay “Karmen” Melendez and her daughter, Layla Stewart. But Sgt. Julie Ballou said investigators believe there is a criminal connection to their disappearances.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Our friend also has previous murder charges (and abuse of a corpse) out of Arkansas.

The drive-by shooting charges from December are because he shot at Karmen's apartment. He apparently just bonded out and then this happens.

Vancouver man in court in alleged drive-by shooting

A Vancouver man who is accused of shooting at his girlfriend’s apartment in the Minnehaha area in December appeared Friday in Clark County Superior Court.

www.columbian.com

The prosecution said a danger assessment found Warren poses an “extreme risk” to the victim, with a score of 31 on a scale of 1 to 18.


According to an affidavit of probable cause, Warren’s girlfriend called 911 on Dec. 23 to report he had choked her. At that time, she also reported he had shot at her Dec. 13 while a friend was at her apartment. She said her friend initially called 911, but she told her to hang up because she was too scared to report the shooting.

The friend told detectives she heard the couple screaming and arguing before the shooting. She rushed into the room and de-escalated the situation, she said, and told Warren it would be best if he left. She said he calmed down and took his belongings, the affidavit states.

Warren’s girlfriend told detectives he then texted her and said she better pick up, “I’m coming through spraying.” She looked out her balcony window, she said, and he drove by and fired one round at her, court records say. Detectives said they found a bullet hole in the ceiling of the deck.

The friend said she witnessed the victim gasp and run from the window, followed by the sound of a gunshot, according to the affidavit.

Cellphone records showed Warren was at his girlfriend’s apartment on the day of the shooting and when she reported the assault, court records state.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Protection orders worthless. And often the abuser ramps up in rage.

It is total bullsheet after violating it that bond is being reviewed with no decision.... Yep even after violation, major one, they still debate it. Even if the woman is committed to getting out and not returning, they are not protected!!

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Court docs: Boyfriend of missing Vancouver mother released on bail after shooting at her

Recent court documents indicate the boyfriend of missing Meshay Melendez, 27, and her young daughter Layla, 7, had previously shot a gun at Meshay - and has an

katu.com

Court docs: Boyfriend of missing Vancouver mother released on bail after shooting at her
Recent court documents indicate the boyfriend of missing Meshay Melendez, 27, and her young daughter Layla, 7, had previously shot a gun at Meshay - and has an active warrant for murder in Arkansas.

Meshay and her daughter have not been seen since March 12. Meshay's abandoned vehicle was found on March 19.

Newly-available court documents reveal that Meshay's boyfriend, Kirkland Warren, of Vancouver, was arrested on March 2, 2023 for firing a gun at Meshay and threatening to kill her. He was booked into the CCSO jail on charges of Drive-By Shooting, Assault II with Firearm, Felony Harassment, and Possession of a Stolen Firearm.

Warren was issued a no-contact order protecting Meshay. He was then released from jail after posting bail.


Warren is also said to have been the last person seen with Meshay on March 12, 2023. Meshay's friend reported that she saw Warren and Meshay together in Warren's vehicle. The friend found Meshay to be unresponsive and naked from the waist down in the car, and believed Warren may have been prostituting her.

The friend had been watching Meshay's daughter Layla, and Warren then took Layla into his own custody.

This was the last time the woman and her daughter were seen, and they were reported missing on March 18.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

‘Person of interest’ named in search for Vancouver mom, daughter

Vancouver police have identified a person of interest in the disappearance of a mother and child who were last seen on the morning of March 12.

www.koin.com

‘Person of interest’ named in search for Vancouver mom, daughter​

Kirkland Warren described as 'person of interest'; 3 cars connected to search
Vancouver police have identified a person of interest in the disappearance of a mother and child who were last seen on the morning of March 12, as well as 3 cars connected to the case.

A man named Kirkland Warren may have been the last person with Meshay Melendez, 27, and her 8-year-old daughter Layla Stewart before their disappearance, according to police.

He is currently being held in the Clark County Jail on bail of $1,120,000.


The Vancouver Police Department said it is “actively following up on leads received from both the community as well as evidence recovered as part of the search warrant at [Warren’s] residence.”

During this investigation, police ask anyone with surveillance systems to check their cameras for three vehicles between March 11-13:

• 2021 maroon Dodge Charger, Oregon license plate 812MWM
• 1999 white Chevrolet Lumina, Washington license plate 3A68206
• 2011 white Chrysler 200, Washington license plate (number not specified)

 

[GrandmaBear]

‘Person of interest’ named in search for Vancouver mom, daughter

Vancouver police have identified a person of interest in the disappearance of a mother and child who were last seen on the morning of March 12.

www.koin.com

‘Person of interest’ named in search for Vancouver mom, daughter​

Kirkland Warren described as 'person of interest'; 3 cars connected to search
Vancouver police have identified a person of interest in the disappearance of a mother and child who were last seen on the morning of March 12, as well as 3 cars connected to the case.

A man named Kirkland Warren may have been the last person with Meshay Melendez, 27, and her 8-year-old daughter Layla Stewart before their disappearance, according to police.

He is currently being held in the Clark County Jail on bail of $1,120,000.


The Vancouver Police Department said it is “actively following up on leads received from both the community as well as evidence recovered as part of the search warrant at [Warren’s] residence.”

During this investigation, police ask anyone with surveillance systems to check their cameras for three vehicles between March 11-13:

• 2021 maroon Dodge Charger, Oregon license plate 812MWM
• 1999 white Chevrolet Lumina, Washington license plate 3A68206
• 2011 white Chrysler 200, Washington license plate (number not specified)

I hope they aren't only saying to check cameras (as many don't follow news, etc.) but are quickly and right now checking area surveillance cameras and knocking and asking.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Family of missing Vancouver mom, daughter feel let down by court system

The family of missing mother and daughter, Meshay Melendez and Layla Stewart, say they believe Vancouver’s Kirkland Warren holds the answers to their whereabouts.

www.columbian.com

By Jessica Prokop, Columbian Assistant Metro Editor
Published: March 21, 2023, 7:28pm
Updated: March 21, 2023, 8:08pm
The family of missing mother and daughter, Meshay Melendez and Layla Stewart, say they believe Vancouver’s Kirkland Warren holds the answers to their whereabouts.

Warren, whom Vancouver police declared a person of interest in the disappearances Tuesday, was last seen with Melendez, 27, and Layla, 7, on March 12 in the 7700 block of Vancouver Mall Drive. He was barred by a court order from having contact with Melendez after allegedly shooting at her apartment in December.

“Something definitely happened to them. Layla is always calling us. She’s 7. She’s calling just to be calling,” said Kendrick Taylor, Layla’s grandpa and Melendez’s stepdad. “With her not calling auntie, uncle, me, her grandma, something is definitely wrong.”

With help from the National Women’s Coalition Against Violence & Exploitation, the family and volunteers are searching within a 5-mile radius of Warren’s residence in the Kevanna Park neighborhood and the area Melendez and Layla were last seen.

“It’s so crazy because it’s been a week. Nobody has talked to them since the 11th. This guy has a week on us. We are out searching random places, but it’s like spitting in the wind, because we don’t know,” said Taylor, 38.

<snip>
Both Taylor and Miguel Melendez, 24, said they can’t believe Warren was released from jail after his arrest earlier this month, stemming from the December shooting. They also pointed to Warren’s pending case for a 2017 homicide in Arkansas.

“Why would you not require an ankle monitor?” they questioned.

“The court system failed Layla and Meshay. They really let us down on that,” Taylor said.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Missing mom, daughter found dead in rural Washington

The Vancouver Police Department says the bodies of a missing mom and daughter have been found in a rural area near Washougal.

www.kptv.com

Missing mom, daughter found dead in rural Washington​

The Vancouver Police Department says the bodies of a missing Vancouver mom and daughter have been found in a rural area near Washougal on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, around 9:40 a.m., the Clark County Sheriff’s Office responded to a suspicious circumstance call off SE Sunset View Road in Washougal. The caller reported there appeared to be two “life-sized mannequins” just off the road, down an embankment. Deputies then responded to the scene.

Family members of Meshay and Layla have been notified and cause of death and manner are pending a report from the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Missing mom, daughter found dead in rural Washington

The Vancouver Police Department says the bodies of a missing mom and daughter have been found in a rural area near Washougal.

www.kptv.com

Missing mom, daughter found dead in rural Washington​

The Vancouver Police Department says the bodies of a missing Vancouver mom and daughter have been found in a rural area near Washougal on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, around 9:40 a.m., the Clark County Sheriff’s Office responded to a suspicious circumstance call off SE Sunset View Road in Washougal. The caller reported there appeared to be two “life-sized mannequins” just off the road, down an embankment. Deputies then responded to the scene.

Family members of Meshay and Layla have been notified and cause of death and manner are pending a report from the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office.

I hope they are keeping tabs on him... Seems the likely scenario... Hearing this he is apt to run if he hasn't already...

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

I hope they are keeping tabs on him... Seems the likely scenario... Hearing this he is apt to run if he hasn't already...

He's in custody.

He is currently being held in the Clark County Jail on bail of $1,120,000.

 

[GrandmaBear]

He's in custody.

I was looking at this from above:

Both Taylor and Miguel Melendez, 24, said they can’t believe Warren was released from jail after his arrest earlier this month, stemming from the December shooting. They also pointed to Warren’s pending case for a 2017 homicide in Arkansas.
“Why would you not require an ankle monitor?” they questioned.
“The court system failed Layla and Meshay. They really let us down on that,” Taylor said.

It came after hearing he was arrested in the posts but being I am trying to not catch up (because I can't) but catch up some on the ones I can quickly, I may not have realized it was not in order.

So he IS incarcerated versus what that post said above?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

So he IS incarcerated versus what that post said above?

He was originally arrested on March 2. He posted bail and then “allegedly” killed them. They were last seen on March 12. He was arrested again on March 19 and now has a super high bail.

 

[GrandmaBear]

He was originally arrested on March 2. He posted bail and then “allegedly” killed them. They were last seen on March 12. He was arrested again on March 19 and now has a super high bail.

Glad to hear that. I thought he was but then read he was released but they were probably referring to earlier then. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I couldn't catch up on all cases (even ones I followed religiously) if I tried. I appreciate it!