Kanesha Degruy was 17 when Thibodaux police opened a missing-person inquiry after she left the Lafourche Parish Juvenile Justice Center on Thursday, October 23, 2025. Investigators say she was last seen shortly after 6:00 p.m. in Thibodaux getting into a gray Ford Mustang; the year and plate were unknown. Authorities identified a suspected driver only as Mathew, described as a white male juvenile and Kanesha’s boyfriend.

Kanesha was reported wearing a gray Thibodaux High School sweatshirt, black shorts, and white slippers. She is described as a Black female, 5 feet 3 inches tall, about 200 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes; her date of birth is May 8, 2008, and her hometown is New Orleans though she was residing in Thibodaux at the time. Police said they heard from her on multiple occasions after October 23 but did not specify her whereabouts or safety.

The Thibodaux Police Detectives Bureau is working with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Thibodaux Police Department at 985-446-5021 or Bayou Crime Stoppers at 1-800-743-7433, or submit an anonymous tip online or via the P3 Tips app.

Did anyone in the Thibodaux or New Orleans area see Kanesha or that gray Ford Mustang on October 23?