Family Comfirms Body that of Missing 13 Year Old Esme Kenney, Missing Since 2/28/09, Update: Anthony Kirkland Arrested
Police have found a body early Sunday morning at 3:00 am in a wooded location along 
Winton Road south of Oakfield Avenue that is believed to be Esme Kenney. Police are waiting on official confirmation until an autopsy is completed.
Sadly, the family of 13 year old Esme Kenney has confirmed that the body found by police early this morning was that of missing Esme Kenney. The 13 year old girl had been missing since February 28, 2009 when she was last seen jogging near the water tower on Winton Road around 3:45 Saturday afternoon.
A family member released a statement saying:
“Our hearts are broken by this tragic end to a wonderful young spirit. We would like to thank everyone for their support, and ask that donations be made in Esme Kenney’s name to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.”
Police have a man as a person of interest in the case of missing and now deceased Esme Kenney. Police have made an arrest.
Cincinnati Police Lt. Mark Briede says police found a man in the area who told police enough to make them consider him a “person of interest” in a homicide.
“Around 11:30 pm (Saturday) we came across this person of interest because of what we learned from that person,” said Briede. “We had the helicopter come out from the county, we called out for additional officers, we called for canine units, we began searching the heavily wooded area, 5900 Winton Road, and a little after 3:00 am one of the canine units discovered a body.”
Police are awaiting autopsy results to learn exactly how Kenney died.
In addition to the body police found a man they are now calling a person of interest in the death.
Police have arrested 40 year old Anthony Kirkland in connection with Kenney’s death.