Bodies Of Missing Arizona Teens Found In Water Retention Basin

At around 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, a man walking his dog in Mesa, Arizona, thought he saw a mannequin in the water. WAFB News reported that the man called police to investigate, and authorities confirmed it was a human body. They found another one just 10 feet away.

The bodies were soon identified as 15-year-old Kamryn Meyers and 17-year-old Sitlalli Avelar. The cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner’s office. Foul play is suspected but not yet confirmed, according to PEOPLE. Authorities said the bodies had been in the water a while before they were discovered.

The two teenagers were reported missing on Jan. 7 after they ran away from a Mesa group home that’s operated by Powerhouse Youth Facility Inc., which operates several group homes in Arizona. Brad Miller, an attorney for the facility, told ABC15 that one of the teenagers had been in the home for two months and the other had been there for around a month.

Miller said the teenagers had a history of running away from group homes and they were overheard talking about leaving the home. Although staff tried to talk them into staying, they left the following day.

Miller explained, “They’re not allowed to lock these children in these facilities. So, oftentimes, the children are free to leave.” When they did leave, he said that the staff notified the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) and Mesa Police Department.

Anyone who might have information about what happened to Meyers and Avelar is encouraged to contact the Mesa Police Department nonemergency line at (480) 644-2211.