Missing Black Lives Matter Activist Found Dead Days After Saying She Was Sexually Assaulted
Police confirm they have taken a suspect into custody for questioning
By Chris Harris
June 15, 2020 12:44 PM
Hours after writing on Twitter that she had been sexually assaulted, a 19-year-old Black Lives Matter activist in Florida went missing before being found dead a week later, according to her family.
On June 6, Oluwatoyin Salau wrote a series of posts on Twitter saying she had been assaulted by an older man earlier that day in Talahassee.
In the post, she wrote that the male who assaulted her "came disguised as a man of God." She wrote she had been in "unjust living conditions" and that the man offered her a ride back to a church, which she believed would be a refuge for her.
"I trusted the holy spirit to keep me safe," she wrote.
Salau, a prominent Black Lives Matter activist, was last seen June 6 in Tallahassee, according to the Tallahassee Police Department.
Salau wrote that she had reported the incident involving the older man to local police.
The Tallahassee Police Department has yet to respond to PEOPLE's requests for more information.
Salau's relatives spoke to Tallahassee.com, and said Salau's body was found Saturday.
A statement from the Tallahassee Police Department confirms only that two bodies were found Saturday "at approximately 9:15 p.m."
The bodies, the statement says, were found "in the course of a follow up investigation in a missing person case."
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Adds the statement: "During the course of the investigation, two deceased people were located in the area. As the investigation continued, investigators developed a suspect. The suspect is now in custody and no more information is available at this time."
Footage of Salau speaking out at recent protests has been shared widely on social media.
In one clip, during a protest over the death of George Floyd, she said, "I don't want their names gone in vain," referring to the list of black men and women who've died at the hands of police.
By Chris Harris
June 15, 2020 12:44 PM
Hours after writing on Twitter that she had been sexually assaulted, a 19-year-old Black Lives Matter activist in Florida went missing before being found dead a week later, according to her family.
On June 6, Oluwatoyin Salau wrote a series of posts on Twitter saying she had been assaulted by an older man earlier that day in Talahassee.
In the post, she wrote that the male who assaulted her "came disguised as a man of God." She wrote she had been in "unjust living conditions" and that the man offered her a ride back to a church, which she believed would be a refuge for her.
"I trusted the holy spirit to keep me safe," she wrote.
Salau, a prominent Black Lives Matter activist, was last seen June 6 in Tallahassee, according to the Tallahassee Police Department.
Salau wrote that she had reported the incident involving the older man to local police.
The Tallahassee Police Department has yet to respond to PEOPLE's requests for more information.
Salau's relatives spoke to Tallahassee.com, and said Salau's body was found Saturday.
A statement from the Tallahassee Police Department confirms only that two bodies were found Saturday "at approximately 9:15 p.m."
The bodies, the statement says, were found "in the course of a follow up investigation in a missing person case."
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Adds the statement: "During the course of the investigation, two deceased people were located in the area. As the investigation continued, investigators developed a suspect. The suspect is now in custody and no more information is available at this time."
Footage of Salau speaking out at recent protests has been shared widely on social media.
In one clip, during a protest over the death of George Floyd, she said, "I don't want their names gone in vain," referring to the list of black men and women who've died at the hands of police.
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