Account
Nov 17, 2014
May 22, 2024
Zaden
McKnight
15
4
36 inches
45 lbs
Black / African American
Male
In late March 2014, a young mother named Nichelle La'Rod McKnight and her four-year-old son, Zaden, vanished from their home in Dayton, Ohio. Nichelle was last seen on the evening of March 25, leaving her residence on Homewood Avenue with her ex-boyfriend, Antwan Anderson. Concern grew when Nichelle, a dependable employee with two jobs and an Air Force reservist, failed to show up for work for several days. This uncharacteristic absence prompted her mother to report both Nichelle and Zaden missing, setting in motion a tragic series of events. The last known description of Zaden's clothing included blue jeans, a yellow and blue coat, a yellow hat, and red "Lightning McQueen" velcro shoes. The investigation quickly focused on Antwan Anderson, who had active warrants for his arrest. When authorities attempted to pull him over for questioning, he fled, leading to a police chase that ended in a wooded area. A shootout ensued, culminating in Anderson taking his own life. With their primary person of interest gone, investigators feared that crucial information about Nichelle and Zaden's whereabouts may have been lost forever. However, a breakthrough came on April 11, when an anonymous caller, claiming to be a friend of Anderson's, directed police to a location behind the Riverview Park Apartments near the Stillwater River. It was there that they made a devastating discovery: Nichelle's body. She had been shot twice in the head. There was no trace of her young son, Zaden. The case took another turn with the arrest of Tonisha Harris, another woman who had been romantically involved with Anderson. Evidence discovered at her home on Birchwood Avenue, including blood, suggested that both Nichelle and Zaden had met a violent end there. Authorities also found Nichelle's shoes, bank cards, driver's license, and the Social Security cards for both her and Zaden. It was revealed that Harris had used Nichelle's bank cards, spending nearly $3,000 at Anderson's instruction, a confrontation about which is believed to have preceded Nichelle's disappearance. Harris was ultimately charged with tampering with evidence, failure to report a crime, and gross abuse of a corpse. While she was sentenced to prison for these charges and for the financial crimes, she was never charged in connection with the actual homicides and has maintained that she does not know Zaden's location. Despite extensive searches and the passage of time, Zaden McKnight has never been found, and he is presumed to be deceased. The case remains a painful and unresolved tragedy for his family, who continue to hope for answers and the day they can bring him home.
Mar 25, 2014
Dayton
Ohio
Montgomery County
29647
Dayton Police Department
Dayton
Ohio
Montgomery County
45402
335 West Third Street, Ohio
9373332677
Local
Law Enforcement
5726501
Dayton Police Department
Brown
Brown
Brown
05/25/2026
