Editors note: Brown Memorial Legacy announced Saturday it is no longer handling Keimani's funeral arrangements. Funds have been transferred to the funeral home that will oversee the remaining affairs. That funeral home has not yet been named.
Brown Legacy Memorial, which is handling funeral arrangements for 13-year-old Keimani Latigue, is communicating with the slain girl’s grandmother to finalize details of her funeral.
Richard Brown, owner of Brown Legacy, said he has met with Dorothy Latigue, Keimani’s grandmother and legal guardian.
“I told her we could meet in the next day or two to formulate a plan and release it to the public. I’m just trying to give her some time to gather herself because there’s been a lot for her to deal with in the last couple of days,” Mr. Brown said.
Keimani was found in an abandoned, burned-out house on Miami Street in East Toledo on Monday after her grandmother reported her missing on March 18, nearly a week prior to her body being found. Lucas County Coroner Dr. Thomas Blomquist said Wednesday that where and when she died remains under investigation.
Her father, Darnell Jones of Toledo, is accused of her murder. He is currently in a Columbus-area hospital after he was shot by Columbus police on Tuesday.
Jones has warrants out of Toledo for murder, felonious assault, and abduction of Keimani.
His arraignment scheduled for Wednesday in Franklin County Municipal Court on a single count of felonious assault on a police officer was postponed while he remains hospitalized for a gunshot wound.
“If we still haven’t reached the amount to cover what the family wants to do, I will release that information to the public after speaking with the family,” Mr. Brown said.
Funds raised in excess of the funeral cost will be donated to a nonprofit organization in Keimani’s name, Mr. Brown said.
There have been GoFundMe pages established to raise money for Keimani’s family that the funeral home “has nothing to do with,” Mr. Brown said.
“Tuesday morning, Keimani’s grandmother signed off for me to tell the public they could give donations to us on our website, and we would control it. Anything left over will be donated to a nonprofit organization in her name. Nothing will go to the family,” he said.
The community has been very generous with donations to the funeral home, Mr. Brown said.
“There are so many people from the community who are donating. Some are donating anonymously. The community is doing a great job. It’s been nothing but love. I’ve been getting calls all day from people who want to do something,” he said.
Calls are coming from people like Crissy Antoine, owner of Wheelin’ On The Rocks bar, which will hold a fund-raiser for Keimani’s funeral expenses on Sunday from 2:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Other bars involved in the fund-raiser include Corner Saloon at Telegraph and Sterns roads, Daffy’s Thirsty Duck on Lewis Avenue, and Kickstand Saloon on Alexis Road.
Wheelin’ On The Rocks, 2640 W. Laskey Rd., will feature food, a poker run, and raffle tickets in exchange for a donation.
“It will be tied to the funeral home,” Ms. Antoine said. “The public will have to screenshot the donation to the funeral home’s website to participate in those activities we will offer.”
Ms. Antoine said she feels blessed as a successful business owner and wants to give back to the community.
“I like helping people. Everyone is so upset by Keimani’s murder. It’s such a tragedy. If fund-raising is a way to help people express their grief, then it benefits the community,” she said.
“If anything is left over, I hope it will be turned over to a charity like the Sparrow’s Nest — something that deals with domestic violence,” she said.
At a makeshift memorial at the abandoned, burned-out house on Miami Street where Keimani’s body was found, a steady stream of people stopped by Wednesday evening, some to pray, others to add to the flowers, balloons, lighted candles, and stuffed animals that were at the side of the boarded-up house.
“It’s so unfortunate,” said Brya Loso of South Toledo. “My daughter is just three years younger. I will always hold a haunting memory of this.”
Cindy Seger of South Toledo said even though she was not from the east side, she still had to come and honor Keimani.
“I just had to come by and pay my respects to this beautiful young girl who was taken too soon,” she said. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from. At the end of the day, she was someone’s daughter, granddaughter.”
Guadalupe Medina of South Toledo said Keimani’s homicide “hits home for me” because he has a daughter.
“This is heartbreaking. I just had to come and pay my respects to this little girl,” said Mr. Medina.
“I just wish the city would have torn down the house a long time ago instead of leaving it up,” he said.
Patricia Martens of East Toledo said she stopped by “to let this poor baby know she means something.”
“Regardless of what she went through, she is loved. She will not be forgotten. She needs justice,” she said.
Both sides of Wilmot Street, which intersects Miami Street, were lined with motorists, some who never got out of their vehicles.
“We came by to say a prayer,” said John Juhasz of East Toledo, who sat in his vehicle on Wilmot with his 11-year-old daughter, Skylee.
“It’s a tragedy, just terrible this even happened. It’s sickening and bone chilling, especially in my neck of the woods,” he said. “When it hits close to home, you really think about it.”
First Published March 27, 2025, 12:00 a.m.
