Jaytwan Latron Mcneal, 23, was last seen on surveillance video at 4:15 p.m. on September 20, 2021, as he walked away from his Oakland Park, Florida, apartment on Northeast 41st Street. He stood at 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighed approximately 140 pounds, and had a distinctive "KB" tattoo on the front of his neck. Mcneal's hair was styled in long dreadlocks, which he typically kept pulled back in a nylon cap.
The investigation into Mcneal's whereabouts took a turn when his cellphone pinged in Palm Beach County on September 21, 2021, before all activity ceased at 10:48 p.m. that night. His last phone call was traced to Sophia Valdez, a long-time friend from middle school. When questioned, Sophia admitted to meeting with Mcneal on the day he disappeared to smoke marijuana, claiming he then left without any explanation. Her brother, Luis Valdez, denied ever having met Mcneal. Contrary to their statements, investigators determined that Mcneal had traveled to Palm Beach County to meet with Sophia, who had picked him up at the Tri-Rail station on Lake Worth Road. A subsequent search of her red Hyundai Elantra uncovered blood or a substance resembling blood, along with evidence that someone had attempted to clean the vehicle. A search of the mobile home shared by the Valdez siblings yielded a. 38 revolver, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, and ammunition for both.
A witness eventually came forward, providing a detailed account of Mcneal's murder. According to the witness, the Valdez siblings and Mcneal had committed a robbery together, and a dispute over the money ensued. The witness claimed that Sophia lured Mcneal to the back of their mobile home, where Luis then shot him in the head. The siblings allegedly wrapped Mcneal's body in a blue tarp and disposed of it in a dumpster in Palm Springs. Supporting the witness's testimony, investigators found pieces of a blue tarp at the location where the murder allegedly occurred. The cellular phone records of the Valdez siblings also aligned with the witness's account of the events.
In July 2023, Luis Valdez was convicted of first-degree murder with a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm, receiving a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. In September of the same year, Sophia Valdez reached a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, resulting in a 35-year prison sentence. At the time he went missing, Jaytwan Mcneal was employed by a travel agency. His body has never been found.
Last Seen: Sep 20, 2021
