22-year-old reports rape by man who kidnaps and kills her the next day, Tennessee cops say

A 22-year-old woman reported that a man sexually assaulted her and killed her the next day, police in eastern Tennessee said.

According to Knoxville police, Danishka Sibaja-Mejia was found dead on April 5 in a home where two other people had been shot.

The two gunshot victims survived, but Sibaja-Mejia was already dead when emergency responders arrived at the house, police said.

The autopsy report detailing the cause of death is not yet available, but Sibaja-Mejia was not shot, said Scott Erland, communications manager for the Knoxville Police Department, in a news conference broadcast by WBIR.

Investigators quickly identified 39-year-old Latawyne Osborne as a suspect in the woman’s death.

On April 4, the day before her death, Sibaja-Mejia reported to Knoxville’s Special Criminal Investigation Unit that Osborne had raped her several days earlier, police said.

When she reported the incident, he was not arrested. Now investigators accuse him of kidnapping and killing her the next day.

He was arrested on April 5 when he was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound, shortly after the incident in which police said Sibaja-Mejia died and two others were injured, Knoxville authorities said.

“This was truly a heinous crime,” Knoxville Police Chief Paul Noel said at the press conference.

During the investigation, police identified three other people who they said were involved in the 22-year-old’s death.

On April 10, Knoxville Police held a press conference to announce the charges against Osborne and three others, including his mother.

The 59-year-old woman was charged with falsifying evidence and aiding and abetting the crime, police said.

The other two defendants are 20-year-old Marquis Ellis and 31-year-old Edward Wilson. According to Knox County jail records, they are facing charges including murder, first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated rape, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping.

All four people were taken into custody, police said. Their attorneys’ information is not listed in Knox County records.

Sibaja-Mejia, who was affectionately known as Tita, was known for her zest for life, a friend said in a Facebook tribute written in Spanish. Hashtags titled “JusticeforTita” spread across social media.

Sibaja-Mejia loved and was loved, her friend wrote, saying she would not rest until her sister received the justice she was denied.

News of Sibaja-Mejia’s death after she reported the sexual assault sparked an outcry of outrage, accusing the police of failing to adequately protect her.

“Justice for my baby Danishka. My heart aches for everyone who knew you because knowing you was a sweet blessing,” wrote one Facebook user. “And losing you absolutely hurts my heart.”

If you have been a victim of sexual assault and need someone to talk to, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit the hotline’s online chatroom.

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