Update: Missing Toddler Nalani Johnson Found Dead In Pennsylvania Park
Police allege a “romantic relationship” between Nalani's father and the woman he accused of kidnapping the girl.
Mug shot of Sharena Nancy [Allegheny County Jail]; Nalani Johnson [Penn Hills Police Department]
The body of missing toddler Nalani Johnson was found at a Pennsylvania park, three days after her father allegedly claimed a rideshare driver abducted the child, police said.
The discovery reportedly occurred a few hours after authorities told the press that Paul Johnson, 21, and Sharena Nancy, 25, had been romantically involved. Initially, Johnson reportedly told police he did not know the woman he accused of abducting Nalani.
At a press conference on Tuesday evening, Indiana County District Attorney Patrick Dougherty told reporters: “We can confirm that the missing child was found here in Pine Ridge Park in Indiana County. This is an ongoing investigation. The info we can provide is very limited.”
Dougherty stated an autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday to determine a cause and manner of death. While not naming Nancy, Dougherty reportedly did refer to a woman who is “currently in custody” and added, “We believe that she is involved. To what extent, that is still being determined.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Dougherty told the press: “Sharena Nancy and Paul Johnson became acquainted intermittently over the last few months, so they were known to each other. They were friends; they were in the beginnings of an intermittent romantic relationship.”
Read more: CNN, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, WTAE, KDKA-2
