What happened to Demiah Appling? Human remains found in Florida identified as missing 14-year-old

The body of missing Florida teen Demiah Appling was found by authorities in Florida two months after she was reported missing, Deputies in Dixie County said in a statement.

On Friday, December 16, Florida authorities confirmed the identity of the remains found in Gilchrist County last week as 14-year-old Demiah Appling. The teen, whose death has been determined as a homicide, was reported missing on October 24, 2022.

As per Law and Crime, Demiah Appling was last seen getting into a vehicle on the night of October 16 in the Suwannee Gardens neighborhood in old-town Florida. Authorities began searching for the teen after she was reported missing on October 24.

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Officials confirm the body of Demiah Appling has been found

On Friday, December 16, authorities said they found a missing girl, Demiah Appling, dead after more than a month of searching. Authorities, who announced that her death was a homicide, said that they are still trying to find the suspect responsible for her death.

Appling was reported missing on October 24, after she was last seen getting into a vehicle at 9:30 pm on October 16, 2022. On November 4, officials concerned about the teen’s safety issued a description asking anyone to come forward with information on the disappearance. At the time, Dixie County officials said:

“New information reveals that Demiah was last seen wearing navy blue ‘Nike’ slides, white striped/SpongeBob SquarePants shorts, a black t-shirt, and a gold necklace with a heart-shaped charm. She had her cell phone with her.”

Appling’s body was reportedly found across a river in Gilchrist county. Police are yet to disclose the cause of death. Private investigators Tammi Jones and Lori Mille, who teamed up with law enforcement to assist with the search, commented on the tragic outcome, saying:

“We were hoping that she would come and just walk through the door and her grandmother would smile again. But unfortunately, that’s just not the case.”

After the body was discovered, Dixie County officials thanked multiple law enforcement agencies who assisted with the search for the missing teen.

“When Demiah was reported missing, Sheriff Butler immediately recognized the importance of finding Demiah and assigned a team of investigators to concentrate their efforts on locating her."

They added:

“Sheriff Butler would like to recognize the hard work of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, The Florida Department of Corrections, the District 8 Medical Examiner’s Office, and the State Attorney’s Office for their assistance on this case."

Authorities stated that this is an active investigation, and they are ardently working towards finding the person responsible for Demiah Appling’s death.