KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rumors on social media are causing more pain for a Kansas City family who is desperately searching for a missing teen.
The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department says social media rumors of a serial killer targeting women in KCMO are "completely unfounded."
A video posted to TikTok by the Kansas City Defender was shared across various social media platforms.
In the video, which has now been deleted, it claimed that over the past week, the bodies of two to four Black women were found near east 85th Street and Prospect Avenue in KCMO.
The circulated posts also spoke of several missing young Black women in the area.
KSHB 41 spoke with the Brown family, who has been searching for their loved one.
Lavera Brown says her daughter, Jayonna, walked away and hasn't returned home. She's been missing since Sept. 9.
In the video posted by The Defender, some commenters connected Jayonna's disappearance to rumors of the serial killer. This had the Brown family on edge.
“It’s not true — please don’t call us and send us links with that information, we already can think the worst on our own,” Lavera Brown said. “All we can ask is your prayers are needed and to not send the links. It's not helpful, we understand the outcome of negativity on society. We don’t need anyone to embark that on us with titles or web links."
On Monday, the Brown family went door-to-door in the Hickman Mills and Ruskin neighborhoods asking for help in finding Jayonna.
“I miss her, and I love her, and I wish she could find her way back home," Lavera Brown said. "Whatever is going on, we can find a solution, no problem is too heavy."
Ty Brown, Jayonna's uncle, pleaded for the public's help in bringing her home safely.
“It’s been 17 days now, so I’m just trying to see if anyone may have seen anything," he said.
The Brown’s are now hoping to turn the harm into fuel for hope.
“Nobody’s going to know if we don’t say something, she’s just going to be out there,” Brown said.
In a social media post, The Defender said it's since talked to police and now know the claims are untrue. The Defender also said it's working to find out where the rumors started.
Anyone with information on Jayonna's location is asked to call 911.
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