Talaija Dorsey's Body Found: Pastor Who Baptized 12-Year-Old Now Must Bury Her
The body of Talaija Dorsey, a 12-year-old Louisiana girl who went missing on July 1, was found on Sunday, just five days later. Sheriff Willy Martin made the sad announcement yesterday, along with the news that Talaija's mother's fiancé was a suspect in the girl's murder.
"Didn't end the way we were hoping," Martin told the press yesterday. "We looked at that smiling face every day."
Martin confirmed that he had found Talaija's body but did not go into any further details. He did not want to compromise a possible case being built against John Celestine, 42, who is the fiancé of Talaija's mother. He was arrested in connection with the girl's disappearance and is now a suspect in her death. Police took him into custody when a pair of Talaija's slippers were found in an out-of-use minivan at her home.
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"We're still holding him," Martin said. "We're hoping that we will find evidence at the scene that will help us. The person that killed her knows exactly how it (the scene) looks and he won't be able to say he heard it on TV."
What Martin did reveal was that Talaija's body was found behind a thick, grassy area on Sunday morning. Officials estimate that her body had been there since Tuesday, the same day she went missing. An autopsy will be performed and hopefully bring more information for authorities who spent so much time looking for the girl.
"I took this picture home with me every day, put it on my kitchen table and left with it every morning," Martin said. "And my guys can tell you I worked as many hours as they did, and I was determined to bring this case to closure."
The family's pastor, Rev. Samuel Jones, said that while the family was dealing with their grief, they were also grateful for closure in the case. They are relying on their faith to help them through. Rev. Jones was the one who baptized Talaija, and now he has the difficult task of burying her.
"This is my family, not just church family," Rev. Jones told WAFB. "This is a young lady who would come to Bible class, prayer service with us. This is the one I baptized. This is my family and I know we're going to get through it."
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