A 12-year-old girl is missing. Her sister was found dead last year
A 12-year-old girl reported missing overnight from her Manatee County home has been in contact with family.
Deputies with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said Jalyssa Shannon left the home around 9 p.m. Sunday and has not yet returned. She is the sister of Janessa Shannon, who was found dead several days after she was reported missing on July 2, 2017.
Jalyssa’s mother called the sheriff’s office around 1:30 a.m. Monday, several hours after her daughter walked out of their home on 65th Avenue West.
But the girl has since been in contact with her 19-year-old sister, their grandfather Larry Mosley said Monday afternoon.
“She just texted her older sister that she’s OK and that she will be home later this afternoon,” Mosley said.
Jalyssa is about 4 feet, 11 inches tall, weighs approximately 175 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes, according to the sheriff’s office. She was last seen wearing a black shirt and capri pants.
Nahshon Shannon, Janessa Shannon’s father, was charged with aggravated child abuse and first-degree murder in connection with her death. Hillsborough County court records show he entered a plea of not guilty to the charges on Dec. 28.
Michelle Mosley, Janessa and Jalyssa’s mother, was arrested in Manatee County on a capias for a welfare fraud charge Monday morning, according to jail records. She was released from the Manatee County jail after posting a $1,500 bond.
Larry Mosley said the girl left home after an argument with her mother on Sunday. She had a history of running off but never for more than two or three hours, he said.
“It gets people upset,” Larry Mosley said.
When Jalyssa went missing Sunday night, it brought back some terrible memories and the family was desperate to find her, he explained.
Jaylssa has struggled since the death of her sister, their grandfather said, especially knowing that their father has been charged with killing her. Mosley said Jaylssa had also been abused by their father.
Currently a student at Horizons Academy, Jaylssa has been accepted to the PACE Center for Girls, where she will be enrolled beginning next month. Jaylssa had been sent to Horizons, Manatee County's alternative school, after getting into a fight with someone at Lee Middle School. She had been acting out since her sister’s death, but their grandfather thought she was doing better.
Anyone with information about Jalyssa’s whereabouts can call the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 941-747-3011.
This story was originally published February 19, 2018 at 6:26 AM with the headline "A 12-year-old girl is missing. Her sister was found dead last year."