HPD releases surveillance photos of 2 men wanted for questioning after body of 12-year-old girl found in creek near West Rankin

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Houston Police Department has released photos of two males of interest after the body of a 12-year-old girl was found in a creek this week.

Police said the girl was found on West Rankin Road near the Northern Highway, a short walk from her home, after investigators believed she had sneaked out of her home on Sunday around 22 hours.

Her mother last saw her as she was going to bed, police said.

RELATED: HPD believes 12-year-old girl may have snuck out of home before found dead in creek

On Tuesday, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the girl was talking on the phone with her 13-year-old boyfriend at a convenience store around midnight. The boyfriend told investigators he heard her talking to two adults.

“A report will be released shortly with very bad and horrible circumstances,” Whitmire said.

Investigators are looking for surveillance video that could help them find the killer.

Billie Jackson was driving home after dropping her husband off from work Monday morning when she said she made a disturbing discovery.

“I drove past and when I looked down at the creek, I thought it was a mannequin. I turned around, stopped on the bridge, turned on my flashers, “I looked down and realized it was someone. I parked here and immediately called 911,” she said.

On Tuesday evening, Houston police posted a surveillance photo of two men of interest on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences has not identified the victim, but ruled the girl’s cause of death to be strangulation.

Jackson said her heart goes out to the 12-year-old’s family as they, too, process what she saw.

“Finding out she was 12 years old devastated me. I have a 12-year-old granddaughter,” Jackson said.

Authorities are urging anyone with information about the girl’s death to contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

For updates on this story, follow Brooke Taylor on Facebook, X and Instagram.