Latisha Monique Frazier, born October 3, 1991, was an 18-year-old African‑American woman living in Southeast Washington, D.C. At the time of her disappearance she stood about 5′3″ and weighed approximately 165 lb. She had recently graduated from Crossland High School, worked full-time at a McDonald’s in Oxon Hill, Maryland, and was the devoted mother of a three-year‑old daughter named Diamond.
Known as responsible, hardworking, family‑oriented, and rarely out of touch, Latisha was described by loved ones as someone who would never abruptly abandon her child or family.
On August 2, 2010, after finishing her shift at McDonald’s, Latisha left work and boarded her regular bus. She spoke briefly to her boyfriend on the ride, indicating she planned to visit friends before heading home, but she never arrived. Each time her family called her cell phone it went straight to voicemail, prompting immediate concern. When she failed to return that night, her family reported her missing two days later on August 4, 2010.
In the months that followed, investigative efforts included canvassing by her family, distribution of flyers across the city, speaking with eyewitnesses and police retracing her known route. Of particular note, her sister began to receive anonymous threatening Facebook messages warning that Latisha was dead and that her remains could be found in Rock Creek Park.
In January 2011, a major break occurred when an anonymous tip led authorities to six individuals—some of whom Latisha had considered friends—who were later charged in her death. Prosecutors alleged that Johnnie A. Sweet accused Latisha of stealing $900 from him and devised a plan: he invited her to an apartment on Trenton Place SE under the pretense of socializing, and enlisted friends—Anneka Nelson Lanee Bell Cinthya Proctor Laurence Hassan and Brian Gaither —to help “teach her a lesson.” Once inside, Latisha was brutally attacked: witnesses and court testimony describe punching, kicking, stomping, binding her wrists and ankles with duct tape, covering her head with a pillowcase, and placing her in a closet where she ultimately died under a choke‑hold by Gaither.
After her death, the group allegedly attempted to dismember her body in a bathtub. They then placed the remains in a dumpster behind the apartment, which was collected by Waste Management trucks and likely taken to a landfill in rural Virginia. Her remains were never recovered; authorities determined that excavating a landfill would be hazardous, costly, and unlikely to yield results, and declined to pursue such an operation.
Over the subsequent years, all six suspects faced judicial consequences. Johnnie Sweet went to trial and in April 2013 was convicted of first‑degree felony murder, premeditated murder, kidnapping, and evidence tampering; he was sentenced in July 2013 to 52 years in prison. Brian Gaither pleaded guilty to first‑degree murder and received a 32‑year sentence in April 2013; after an appeal he again pleaded in 2017 and the sentence remained 32 years. Cinthya Proctor pleaded guilty to second‑degree murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy to tamper with evidence, and was sentenced to 21 years. Laurence Hassan pled guilty to second‑degree murder and kidnapping, receiving an 18‑year sentence. Anneka Nelson and Lanee Bell also entered guilty pleas: Nelson on murder/kidnapping, Bell on kidnapping. A seventh individual, Antoine McCullough, admitted to evidence‑tampering and received probation.
Throughout, Latisha’s family maintained hope for justice and closure. Her mother, Caroline Frazier, publicly expressed anguish over authorities’ refusal to search the landfill, fearing Latisha was buried deep and unreachable. The absence of her body devastated those left behind who could not lay her to rest.
Although convictions have been secured, the physical whereabouts of Latisha Monique Frazier’s remains remain unknown, and her loved ones remain without closure even years later.Last Seen: Aug 2, 2010
