The family and supporters of 15-year-old La’Niyah Clark gathered outside the Wilkes-Barre Police Department on Wednesday evening, holding a candlelight vigil that quickly turned into a call for justice and transparency. The vigil followed the grim confirmation that the remains found face-down in a wooded area behind a Thayer Street garage on Saturday belong to the missing teen, who had been missing since January 17. Family members expressed deep frustration with the initial police response, alleging that the department’s decision to label the deaf teenager as a runaway rather than "missing and endangered" delayed critical search efforts during the first few weeks of her disappearance.
During the demonstration, loved ones shared heartbreaking details regarding the condition of the body, noting that Clark was found with visible signs of trauma, including cuts and a rope-like item around her wrist. While an autopsy was performed Tuesday morning, the Luzerne County Coroner’s Office has not yet ruled on an official cause or manner of death, pending further forensic testing. Investigators have focused their attention on a nearby apartment building on New Alexander Street, where a six-hour search was conducted earlier this week. Although authorities maintain there is no broader threat to the public, the Clark family continues to demand a more urgent investigation into who was responsible for the teen's death.