DIXIE COUNTY, Fla. — Florida law enforcement are trying to find a missing 14-year-old girl's killer after human remains were found earlier this month.
According to the Dixie County Sheriff's Office, 14-year-old Demiah Appling had been missing since October. She had been last seen the night of Oct. 16 in the Suwannee Gardens neighborhood, most likely leaving the area in a car, the sheriff's office said.
Deputies say Appling's disappearance was reported on Oct. 24.
The sheriff's office said a team of investigators had been concentrating their efforts on finding Appling. On Dec. 5, that search led them to the discovery of human remains in nearby Gilchrist County.
Authorities were later able to identify those remains as Demiah. Her death is being treated as a homicide and the search for Demiah's killer is underway.
"Our work here is far from over," the sheriff's office said on social media. "The Dixie County Sheriff’s Office will continue their investigation and partnership with other agencies to ensure that the people responsible for Demiah’s death are held accountable."
The sheriff's office said multiple agencies are partnering together to find those responsible for Demiah's death.
"Sheriff Butler would also like to express his appreciation for the hard work, commitment, diligence, and tenacity of the deputies and investigators who have worked so hard on this case and for the outpouring of support from the community," the sheriff's office added.
Anyone with information on Demiah's death or the investigation is asked to contact the Dixie County Sheriff's Office's tipline at 352-498-1245.
