Family Mourns After Teen is Found Dead in New Orleans

The family of 16-year-old Kaylan Ward want answers after the teen was found dead on an overpass in East New Orleans last week.

via The New Orleans Advocate. "Classy Dolls"Dance team members and friends of Kaylan Ward at her Memorial Service

In an interview with the New Orleans Advocate, Ward's mother, Kenisha Martin-Nelson, said, “I will not stop until I get answers. This will not become a cold case because I will not allow it,” In the same interview Nelson also said, “Everywhere she went, people fell in love with her,”  She said that she felt “empty” without her daughter. 

According to the police working on the case,Ward was last seen on Thursday around midnight walking along Earhart Boulevard, miles away from where her body was found. Witnesses say she was seen asking passing drivers for a ride to an unknown location.

via The New Orleans Advocate

via The New Orleans Advocate. Dance team members and friends of Kaylan Ward mourn at Ward's Memorial Service

There has been controversy surrounding Ward's cause of death. Police said they believed the teen may have been involved in a hit-and-run on Interstate 10 near Bullard Avenue. While some news outlets claim that she was raped and cut into pieces. One thing that is clear is that her body was found on a bridge over Bullard about 6:30 a.m., prompting an investigation that shut down the interstate for hours. Also, Coroner Jeffrey Rouse said Tuesday that Ward died of multiple blunt traumatic injuries

As of right now, Ward’s death is being treated by police as unclassified, not a homicide, and Traffic Investigator Anthony Pontiff is leading the investigation.

Police have asked anyone with information about the incident that killed Ward to call Traffic Investigator Anthony Pontiff at 504.658.6205 or Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111.