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A family is grieving in Warren today after learning that missing mother, daughter, sister, friend and role model Alesha Bell, 18, is not coming home.
In a press conference Thursday, Ashtabula County Sheriff Bill Johnson confirmed DNA samples taken from Bell’s mother match the remains discovered at the rented Roaming Shores home of James Brooks, 40.
Johnson and Ashtabula County Coroner Pamela Lancaster said Bell’s death has been ruled a homicide.
Further forensic testing must be done in order to determine how Bell died, Lancaster said.
“The family deserves privacy and closure,” Johnson said, Adding anyone with information about what happened to Bell should share it with the sheriff’s office.
Warren police detective Nick Carney, who led the missing person investigation, said Warren police will do anything they can to assist in the probe of Bell’s death.
“I believed we would find her alive, until yesterday,” Carney said. “It is a really tough time.”
Retired county victim’s advocate Miriam Fife was with Tiffany Knepper, Bell’s mother, Wednesday after a coroner’s deputy broke the news.
Fife said the woman’s Southern Boulevard SW home was flooded with family, friends and neighbors offering support. Knepper was obviously distraught.
Knepper has been caring for Bell’s 2-year-old son Demond Hunter since she was last seen in Warren July 23.
At a prayer vigil last week, cousin Lakyra Gunther, 15, said,”Alesha gave me confidence… the confidence to show everyone I can be smart, and dance and sing. She taught me not to be scared. She taught me the ‘Alesha way’ – to never say ‘no’ to something you want, to yourself.”
Bell’s siblings, last week, called their sister beautiful, smart, willful and independent.
Brooks was the target of a drug raid Aug. 20. After drugs and weapons were found in the Roaming Shores home, officers searched outside and found some human remains in a fire pit.Police obtained an additional warrant and discovered more remains near a wooded area. Johnson said tests indicate all of the remains were Bell’s.
Johnson said the coroner will have to determine when exactly killed Bell. He said there is a lot of forensic evidence that will take time to process. He said a phone was recovered from the property where Bell’s remains were discovered. He did not offer any information regarding Bell’s connection to Brooks, a former Warren man.
According to a detective’s testimony offered in Ashtabula Western County Court, Brooks admitted to running an escort service in the city before moving to Roaming Shores in May to “lay low.” Brooks told the detective he took half of the money girls returned from renting hotel rooms with men.
Brooks told the detectives he moved to Ashtabula County to hide from people “he had arguments with,” including Bell’s father, according to testimony.
Brooks admitted to the detective he was the only person to use the fire pit, but gave different stories about when it was last used.
Ashtabula County Prosecutor Nicholas Iarocci said a grand jury is considering charges levied against Brooks – four counts of possessing weapons as a felon, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, three counts of trafficking cocaine and trafficking heroin.
Iarocci did not comment on what additional charges Brooks may face after the remains were identified. Last week in court, Iarocci said, “If forensics come back the way we expect them to come back, there will be additional charges.”
According to Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Lt. Terry Moisio’s testimony last week, a cadaver dog picked up a scent in Brooks’ bedroom, on a door knob and on a mop.
Brooks’ defense attorney William Normal, Cleveland, asked a judge last week to lower Brooks’ bond from $700,000, but the request was denied. He remains in Ashtabula County Jail.