For nearly five years, Laniyah Danyell Whitted’s family lived with the uncertainty of not knowing what had happened to her.

Now, that mystery has taken a devastating turn.

Laniyah was just 17 years old when she disappeared in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in November 2021. Nearly five years later, investigators found human remains in a wooded area — and identified them as Laniyah.

A 22-year-old man has since been arrested and charged with her murder.

The day Laniyah disappeared
Laniyah was last seen on November 16, 2021, after her grandmother dropped her off near Cape Fear High School.

She never came home.

She was reported missing several days later, on November 23.

For years, her family refused to give up hope.

Her grandmother, Viola Spencer, repeatedly said she believed Laniyah was still alive. Even in June 2026, nearly five years after the disappearance, family members were still searching for her.

That month, investigators returned to the area around the Cape Fear River after receiving a new lead. Deputies searched the woods, used boats and sonar technology on the river, and deployed drones and canine teams.

At the time, the family was still hoping the search would bring Laniyah home alive.

Then investigators found something in the woods
On July 30, 2026, authorities discovered human remains in a wooded area along Deep Creek Road in Fayetteville.

The remains were sent to the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for identification.

A few days later, the answer came.

The remains belonged to Laniyah.

After almost five years of searching, her family finally knew where she was — but the news was heartbreaking.

An arrest followed
Investigators then arrested Kabron Markel Thaggard, 22, charging him with first-degree murder and concealment of a body.

Thaggard was already in custody on unrelated armed-robbery charges when the murder charges were brought against him. He was being held without bond.

According to prosecutors, Thaggard and Laniyah had been dating and had a domestic dispute several days before her disappearance.

Prosecutors have alleged that Laniyah was shot during that dispute. Those allegations are part of the criminal case and will have to be established in court.

Her family had searched the same area
Perhaps one of the most painful details is that Laniyah’s relatives had previously searched areas around where her remains were eventually discovered.

They spent years looking for clues, hoping for any sign that could lead them to her.

In June, her grandmother was still publicly saying she believed Laniyah would come home.

Instead, the search ultimately led to a devastating discovery.

A five-year mystery finally has an answer
Laniyah would be 22 years old today.

Instead, her family is left remembering the 17-year-old girl she was when she disappeared.

Her aunt has said she wants Laniyah to be remembered for her personality and energy — not simply as the subject of a murder investigation.

For nearly five years, there was no body, no confirmed explanation and no arrest.

Now, her remains have been identified and a suspect has been charged.

But the case is far from over.

Why did Laniyah disappear? What happened during those final days? And what led investigators to the place where her remains were eventually found?

After almost five years of uncertainty, her family finally has some answers.

But they are answers that came far too late.