Police say material recovered during a search of a Berkeley backyard is not human remains. Investigators were hoping a tip that led them to the home might provide a break in the case of 16-year-old Shemika Cosey, who has been missing for 17 years.
Officers searched the 6100 block of Jefferson Avenue using search dogs that led them to a spot in a backyard, where they used excavation equipment. Officer Ryan Young, who recently took over the case, said tests confirmed that fragments found at the site were animal remains.
The next step is to follow up on other leads, Young said.
Cosey was 16 when she vanished while spending the night at her cousin’s home. Investigators have said there were no immediate signs of forced entry, and she did not have a cellphone at the time.
“My niece said they stayed up to like 1:30 a.m. watching movies,” Cosey’s mother, Paula Hill, told the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. “And when she went to bed, Shemika was there on the couch in the living room.”
The next morning, Cosey’s aunt discovered the teen was gone and the door was unlocked. Her purse and jacket were missing, but her clothes and overnight bag were still inside the home.
“That’s when she called me and asked me, ‘Did Shemika come home?’” Hill told the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. “And I said, ‘no.’ She was like, ‘Shemika is not here.’”
Young said the department received a tip that prompted the search but could not share additional details because the investigation remains active.
Hill was present as officers and search dogs combed the property, describing a rush of emotions as she watched.
“I’m nervous, scared. I’m a little angry because of how long it’s been,” she said. “I mean, I’m just all over the place right now. I just want some answers.”
Her friend, Theda Wilson, stood beside her, reflecting on the long road the family has endured.
“I think about how many administrations we’ve gone through since the disappearance of my friend’s baby,” Wilson said. “All I could do is thank … the officers who are now willing to do what we wanted done years ago.”
Police excavated the Jefferson Avenue property into the afternoon. The material was found that evening in a backyard marked earlier for a more in-depth examination. The current resident of the property is not believed to be connected to the case, Fox 2 reported.