21-Year-Old Art Student Found Dead In Creek: Philadelphia Police

PHILADELPHIA – A body pulled from Cobbs Creek in Philadelphia Friday has been identified as 21-year-old art student Kierra Johnson, of Philadelphia, whose cause of death was strangulation.

Police said they were called to the area of Cobbs Creek Parkway and Spruce Street at about 11:06 a.m. Friday, Nov. 3 for a report of a person in the water.

Police found the victim, later identified as Johnson, unconscious in the creek.

She was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene at 11:26 a.m., police said.

Police officials said in a press conference Monday, Nov. 6 the city coroner ruled the death strangulation.

Police said it's not clear when Johnson was killed then thrown into the creek or if she died in the water.

According to NBC10 a jogger found her body Nov. 3.

Johnson was a student at Hussian School of Art.

"Talented, gentle, kind and always smiling Ki was not only a visual artist, but a performance artist as well," the school said in a statement. "She will be deeply missed by all and it is a particularly difficult time for us as we are a small, close knit community."

Police are investigating a possible motive in her apparent killing.

Image via Renee Schiavone, Patch Staff