Suspect Arrested in Murder of Washington Girl Jenise Wright - East Idaho News
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Suspect Arrested in Murder of Washington Girl Jenise Wright

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Getty 081014 handcuffs?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1407678612280iStock/Thinkstock(BREMERTON, Wash.) — A 17-year-old boy was arrested Saturday in the killing of a 6-year-old Washington state girl who disappeared last week, police said.

The body of Jenise Wright, who went missing last week from her mobile home park, was found Thursday. On Friday, police made a positive ID on Wright’s body and launched a homicide investigation.

The suspect, whose identity was not released, was arrested without incident, one day after police vowed to find justice for the child.

“We made a promise to six-year-old Jenise Paulette Wright that we would find justice for her. Today we have fulfilled that promise, Kitsap County Sheriff’s Detective Earl Smith said.

The teen, who is a resident of the same mobile home park where Jenise lived, was being questioned by Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office investigators, Smith said.

He will be booked on charges of murder in the second degree, manslaughter in the first degree, and first degree rape of child. He will be held in juvenile custody, according to police.

The 6-year-old girl’s death shocked the town of Bremerton, where a vigil attended by more than 300 people was held Friday night.

Wright’s family chose not to attend the vigil, but said they are thankful for everyone’s support.

“I don’t know the right word to describe it, you know they’re grieving. It’s very quiet in their home, and little things will bring tears,” Chris Byron, a spokesman for the Wright family, told reporters.

Miranda Mullins attended the vigil to pay her respects.

“It’s hard, I can’t, I don’t even know what to say, I couldn’t imagine losing one of my children.”


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