DCentric

While Frazier's family searched for her, someone used Facebook to anonymously taunt and threaten them.

Last week, I included a story in my morning roundup about Latisha Frazier, a 19-year old woman who has been missing since August; Frazier’s family became worried when she disappeared, because the teen mother was devoted to her three-year old daughter, Diamond. A missing person is tragic enough, but Frazier’s family suffered even more when they were harassed with anonymous threats and taunts via Facebook. Once alerted to this unfortunate use of their site, Facebook removed the account and cooperated with MPD, which resulted in a breakthrough in the investigation; after seeing Frazier’s story on ABC7 news, someone contacted the MPD with information about the case, and yesterday, Frazier’s family learned that

“probable cause was established that on August 2, 2010, Latisha Frazier was at the 1700 block of Trenton Place SE, where she was assaulted during a dispute and was ultimately murdered.”

Brian Gaither, 23, of Southeast was arrested and has been charged with Murder Two and is scheduled to be arraigned Monday, police said.

At this time, Frazier’s remains have not been located.

While TBD was where I first read about this case, I learned a lot more about Frazier via this Washington Post article, which contained this statement from the teen’s father:

Latisha’s father, Barry Campbell…said he knew this day might come.

“It does feel good to know someone has been arrested, that someone will be punished,” said Campbell, 39, a Metro employee. “I knew this wasn’t my daughter to just up and leave and leave Diamond. I think we all knew that something terrible had happened.”

Diamond is now in the care of her grandmother, Caroline Frazier. Frazier is homeless and unemployed, and she had been taking care of her granddaughter while working with the police and handing out fliers. Diamond is not doing well:

Once laid-back and pleasant, Diamond is now defiant and difficult at times…The teachers and social workers at Bright Beginnings, the Head Start program that Diamond attends, have become so concerned that they’ve recommended that Diamond be evaluated by a child psychologist and developmental specialist.

“She’s a totally different child than she was just last summer, in terms of her temper and acting out,” said Emma Kupferman, a social worker who works with the Fraziers at Bright Beginnings. “Even if she doesn’t know everything or can’t comprehend everything, she knows that something is wrong.”

On a recent afternoon, as the Fraziers completed a long 24 hours of talking with police about the Facebook threats, a report came on local TV news about the family’s struggle. Pictures of Latisha flashed from the screen. As soon as the report ended, Diamond stood up in her chair and pointed.

“That was my mommy on television,” the child said. “That was my mommy smiling.”