Tinessa Hogan: Florida mom of girls, 9 and 7, found dead in canal named person of interest
LAUDERHILL, FLORIDA: A woman has been named a person of interest after her daughters were tragically found floating in a Florida canal.
Police said at a Wednesday, June 23, press conference how sisters Destiny and Daysha Hogan, aged 9 and 7, were last seen swimming in the Lauderhill canal on Monday, June 21. Their mother Tinessa Hogan was named as a person of interest after she never reported the children's disappearance, the New York Post reported.
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Authorities revealed Hogan was seen Monday at the canal swimming with her daughters. She was reportedly carrying a Bible and asked a neighbor if she could baptize her. “She was in the water swimming, she had a bible and she told me to come here. I said, ‘Why?’ She said she wanted to baptize me. She say God told her, I say ‘God didn’t tell you anything," neighbor Lawana Johnson told CBS Miami.
The conversation took place around the same time the sisters were last seen, authorities said. It's worth noting that Tinessa Hogan is not under arrest at this point. Meanwhile, it is yet to be confirmed if she was Baker Acted, which is a temporary psychiatric hold for up to 72 hours.
“She is not in the community right now, and we’re not at liberty to say where she is,” Lauderhill Police Lt Mike Bigwood said, adding that the girl’s father is not in the family picture. “The takeaway here is that we don’t have someone out there creating issues in the community that may cause harm,” Lauderhill Police Chief Constance Stanley explained.
The sisters' bodies were recovered on Tuesday after police received several graphic 911 calls. “I need you guys to come … to see if there is a little girl’s body in the water,” one caller told the dispatcher, per the Post. “I can’t tell if it’s a mannequin head, I mean a mannequin body or a body that’s been in the water for some days.”
WPLG reported that the one girl was found wearing jean shorts and a gray T-shirt with the word "Dance" emblazoned in pink. The second girl was discovered floating in the same waters at about 9 pm.
Police said Destiny and Daysha’s cause of death is yet to be determined by the Medical Examiner. As of now, they are soliciting the public's help to piece the case together. “We’re making a plea to the public and specifically the community of central Lauderhill, to please, if you know the family, if you know the children, if you’re familiar with the relationship, if you’re familiar with any churches, organizations that the family may be a part of, please call us,” Bigwood said. “We desperately need to know what these relationships are and put some context to how this may have happened.”
Authorities are hoping to obtain more information from neighbors, who placed balloons and a stuffed teddy bear at the scene where one of the girls was found. “Any knowledge of the family, the family dynamic, activities that the family engaged in together, just general information about who they were and what their day-to-day life was like would be extremely helpful,” Lt Bigwood added.
If you or anyone you know has information related to the case, you are urged to call Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.