Michigan State Police Identify Body Found in Trunk of Car in Dearborn as a Missing Murfreesboro Woman
Michigan State Police have confirmed the person found deceased in a trunk of a car in Dearborn, Michigan on Sunday following a police chase, crash, and officer involved shooting is that of missing Murfreesboro woman Eleni Kassa.
Thirty-one-year-old Kassa was reported missing in Murfreesboro by family members on Nov. 18, a day after she failed to pick up her daughter from school.
The missing person investigation revealed a possible domestic violence incident occurred with Kassa’s and her girlfriend, Dominique Hardwick, 36, following an argument at Kassa’s Murfreesboro apartment. Kassa’s cell phone and car were left at the apartment. The two were believed to be traveling in Hardwick’s black Dodge Charger with Tennessee license plate 7L87V2.
Murfreesboro Police Criminal Investigations Division (CID) detectives conducted an exhaustive search for Kassa for more than a week, including two separate K9 searches, one of a nearby creek. Detectives also spoke with family members, and several witnesses attempting to locate Kassa. Multiple search warrants were also obtained including one for the search of a home in Lebanon, Tennessee where Hardwick had been staying.
CID detectives reached out to Ohio law enforcement officials after the tag on the Dodge was ran by an Ohio State trooper prior to the car being entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database.
MPD Violent Crimes detectives then contacted Michigan State Police (MSP) who helped with the investigation after a license plate hit in Oakland County Michigan, just outside of Detroit.
Dearborn Police Department officers attempted to stop the Charger Sunday afternoon. The car crashed and shots were fired. Kassa was later discovered dead in the trunk. Hardwick also died, possibly from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to MSP.
For the latest updates about the Michigan State Police investigation, please follow Michigan State Police Second District on Twitter @mspmetrodet.
The Murfreesboro police investigation is still ongoing.
