A TEENAGER has been found strangled to death and dumped naked in a skip.
Maleigha Solonka, 15, had been missing for a week and was last seen in the town of Edgewood in Maryland, USA.
Her body was found 18 miles away in Havre de Grace where authorities said she had died of asphyxiation.
Police have not confirmed whether there are any suspects in their investigation.
Donna Elliott, the victim’s grandmother, told WBAL TV that the force told her: “She was found in a dumpster, trash can with a pink shirt that was ripped, and naked.
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“A couple of weeks ago, she came to stay at my house because she feared that someone was going to hurt her.
‘She will be greatly missed by so many people. It’s almost unbelievable to believe that I’m not going to see my child again.”
Local reports suggest that Maleigha had a difficult childhood but that she had overcome this.
Her family said she had many friends and played softball – a variation of baseball using a larger ball and smaller field.
Her legal guardians are understood to be her aunt Darlene Champ-Dupree and her uncle Vance Dupree.
Her aunt said: “She has had a hard life, and I wanted to amend her, to make her feel better.
“It’s very difficult to believe anything I’m hearing. She didn’t deserve it.”
Her uncle added: “Just a heinous crime that this happened to her. She was so full of life.
“She would brighten up my day. She was just a pleasure to be around.”
A candlelight vigil was held for Maleigha on Thursday with a fundraising page set up to help pay for her funeral costs.
Police said the investigation was ongoing.
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