Missing 8-year-old found dead in Coalmine as federal, Navajo authorities investigate
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Maleeka “Mollie” Boone, 8, who was reported missing from the Coalmine NHA Housing area in Coalmine, Ariz. Federal and Navajo Nation authorities are investigating after her body was found and identified on Friday.
WINDOW ROCK
Federal and Navajo Nation authorities are investigating the death of 8-year-old Maleeka “Mollie” Boone after her body was found and identified Friday afternoon in Coalmine, Arizona, officials confirmed.
The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office, working alongside the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigation, is leading the investigation following the discovery, according to a statement from the FBI. Maleeka had been reported missing after she disappeared from the Coalmine NHA Housing area.
The Navajo Police stated Maleeka was last seen Thursday between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. while playing in the housing area. When she did not return home, authorities initiated a search that drew a coordinated response from multiple law enforcement agencies.
The search included agents, officers and deputies from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Flagstaff Police Department.
Authorities have not released details about the circumstances surrounding Maleeka’s disappearance or death. The FBI stated it is withholding investigative information to protect the integrity of the case.
“To preserve the integrity and capabilities of the investigation, the FBI does not share details of the ongoing process,” the agency wrote in a statement to the Navajo Times.
Maleeka’s disappearance prompted alerts and public appeals across the Navajo Nation and northern Arizona as community members and law enforcement worked to locate her.
Investigators are asking anyone with information related to the circumstances of Maleeka’s disappearance or death to come forward.
Tips can be submitted to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or by visiting tips.fbi.gov. Information may also be reported to the Navajo Police Department Tuba City District at 928-283-3111 or 928-283-3112.
The investigation remains active.
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