The human remains discovered in North Lake Park have been identified as Shealeah Lachelle Staley, a 30-year-old woman from Ashland. Her mother, Angela Kehl, had been searching for her for over two months and never believed she was dead. The Richland County Coroner’s Office contacted a forensic anthropologist team from Mercyhurst University to assist with identification. Authorities are still investigating the case. Lou Whitmire reported
The human remains that were discovered on Sunday in North Lake Park have been identified as Shealeah Lachelle Staley, a 30-year-old woman from Ashland, according to Bob Ball, the Richland County Coroner’s Investigator. On Tuesday, Shealeah’s mother, Angela Kehl, expressed that even though her daughter had been missing for over two months, she never believed that Shealeah might be dead. Angela was actively searching for her daughter, hoping that she was safe and simply choosing not to come home. The Mansfield police had initially reported on Sunday that they were investigating the remains of an unidentified human body found in the woods near North Lake Park. The Richland County Coroner’s Office enlisted the help of a forensic anthropologist team from Mercyhurst University in Pennsylvania to assist with the identification process. Shealeah had been living with her mother in Ashland and had taken her mother’s white Nissan Altima, prompting Angela to report her missing on September 1. Angela believed that Shealeah was with her friends in Mansfield. However, she mentioned that her daughter was secretive about her Mansfield friends and only shared information about her Ashland friends. Angela expressed her desire for answers and closure, wanting to know if Shealeah had taken her own life or if she had been murdered. The last time Angela saw Shealeah was on August 31 when she left for the Social Security Office in Mansfield but never returned. When Angela heard about the discovery of a body in a Mansfield park, she prayed for the family of the deceased and hoped that it would not be Shealeah. Shealeah was unmarried and did not have any children. Angela shared the heartbreaking news that she has now lost two children, as her son Roger Lee died in a car accident in 2003 in Ashland at the age of 20. The human remains were found approximately half a mile from the entrance of the Richland County B&O Trail at the park on West Fourth Street..
The human remains that were discovered on Sunday in North Lake Park have been positively identified as Shealeah Lachelle Staley, a 30-year-old resident of Ashland, according to the statement made by Richland County Coroner’s Investigator Bob Ball. On Tuesday, Shealeah’s mother, Angela Kehl, expressed her disbelief and stated that despite her daughter being missing for over two months, she never considered the possibility of her being dead. Angela continued to search for her daughter, even if Shealeah didn’t want to come home, just to ensure her well-being.
The investigation began on Sunday when the Mansfield police reported that they were looking into the discovery of an unidentified body in the woods near North Lake Park, located off the Richland B&O Trail. In response, the Richland County Coroner’s Office reached out to a forensic anthropologist team from Mercyhurst University in Pennsylvania, who arrived at the scene on Monday to assist with the identification process.
It was revealed that Shealeah had been living with her mother in Ashland and had taken her mother’s white Nissan Altima before going missing. Angela reported her daughter missing on September 1, as stated in the missing person report obtained by the News Journal through a public records request from the Ashland Police Department. Angela mentioned that she believed Shealeah was spending time with her friends in Mansfield, which is why she initially thought nothing of her absence. However, Angela added that she was unaware of her daughter’s Mansfield friends, as they were not familiar with their last names, unlike her Ashland friends.
Expressing her concerns and desire for closure, Angela said, “I just want answers and I want closure. I want to know if she killed herself or was murdered.” The last time Angela saw Shealeah was on August 31 when she left for the Social Security Office in Mansfield but never returned.
When Angela heard the news about a body being found in a Mansfield park, she prayed for the family of the deceased and also hoped that it wouldn’t be Shealeah. Unfortunately, her prayers were not answered. Angela mentioned that her daughter was single and did not have any children. She also shared the tragic loss of her son Roger Lee, who died in a car crash in Ashland at the age of 20 in 2003.
Authorities disclosed that the human remains were located approximately half a mile from the entrance to the Richland County B&O Trail at the park’s West Fourth Street entrance. For further assistance in the identification process, Mansfield police were present at the scene alongside the Mercyhurst University forensic anthropology team.
In this unfortunate turn of events, Angela Kehl has now lost two children, leaving her devastated. She can be reached at lwhitmir@gannett.com or by calling 419-521-7223. Additionally, she can be contacted on X (formerly Twitter) at @LWhitmir..