Azareyiah Rae Rae Mitchell, a 17-year-old African American female from Oak Hill, West Virginia, was last seen on September 28, 2020, in the company of two people. Her disappearance ended in late autumn 2020 when her body was recovered in another state, and the case was treated as a homicide.

Investigators say an altercation at an apartment in Summers County preceded her death. Two people last seen with Azareyiah were later identified and taken into custody: Steven Marvin Lawson Jr., who was reportedly in a relationship with Mitchell, and Jalesa Dashea Bass. Bass was charged with second-degree murder, concealment of a deceased human body, and conspiracy. Lawson was charged with accessory to murder, concealment of a deceased body, and conspiracy; both were held at the Southern Regional Jail.

The family and community continue to seek answers about what happened that night and how events moved from a missing-person report to a homicide investigation. If anyone has information about Azareyiah, her movements on September 28, 2020, or the Summers County apartment, please come forward.