Crime & Safety
'I've Never Seen Anything This Brutal In My Entire Career': Nashville Police Need Leads In Goodlettsville Girl's Murder
Calling it one of the most horrific crime scenes in memory, Metro Police need help finding the killer of 12-year-old Yhoana Arteaga.
NASHVILLE, TN — At a Tuesday afternoon press conference on the ongoing investigation of the murder of 12-year-old Yhoana Arteaga, Metro Nashville Police Sgt. David Kautzman said "I've never seen anything this brutal in my entire career."
Arteaga was found in distress by her mother on the floor of her family's mobile home on Old Dickerson Pike around 6:30 Thursday night. After a 911 call, first responders were unable to resuscitate her and declared her dead at the scene. A Friday autopsy confirmed initial suspicions she was murdered.
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Detectives, though, have precious few leads.
“She was brutally murdered, and if anyone has any information whatsoever that could help in this investigation, please contact us,” Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said.
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Aaron said Arteaga's clothes were in disarray and that she incurred massive blunt-force trauma. There was no indication of forced entry into the mobile home and during a 5:30 p.m. conversation with her mother, Arteaga said someone was knocking on the door. Arteaga had been staying home from school due to a roller-skating injury and Aaron said detectives believe the killer was aware of that, furthering the notion that the killer was known to the 12-year-old.
“The killer knows how she was found. The killer knows what he did,” Aaron said. There are details of the scene being withheld to help police vet tips.
“We continue to hold the scene. The crime scene tape is still up. An officer is still stationed here,” Aaron said.
Detectives do have persons of interest, but did not name them.
"This department is going to do everything we can, above and beyond, to make sure we find out who did this," Sgt. Kautzman said. "The police department is coming together like no case I’ve ever seen in my career."
Anyone with information is urged to call CrimeStoppers at 615-74-CRIME.
Image via Shutterstock
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