This is a developing story and this article will be updated as more details emerge
On July 3, the body of a ten-year-old Black boy, Molu Zarpeleh, was recovered by authorities in Brookings, South Dakota after Zarpeleh was allegedly drowned by a group of older kids.
According to the Brookings Fire Department Chief Darrell Hartmann, Zarpeleh was reported missing around 10 p.m. the previous day. His bike and shoes were found near a privately owned pond at 11:30 p.m.
Zarpeleh’s body was recovered by authorities the next morning. The parents of the children involved admitted that their children played a part in Zarpeleh’s murder; however, the Brookings Police Department attempted to frame the murder as an accident by dismissing the accounts of the children who witnessed the drowning.
10 years old. TEN.
Molu Zarpeleh was drowned by older kids who lured him to a pond and his body was left overnight even though it was found the day prior.
Say His Name.
This world needs to change. #moluzarpeleh pic.twitter.com/Mje9FR1kpV— lyss (@alyssayahnerr) July 13, 2020
Zarpeleh was said to be a kind, compassionate child, who immigrated to the United States from Liberia with his mother and sister when he was four.
“I don’t even know what to do right now. I can’t live without my son. I can’t do it without my son. He was my everything. I can’t live without my son. My heart is hurting,” Zarpeleh’s mother, Philimenia, said.
A petition has since been created to demand #JUSTICEFORMOLU that has gained over 30,000 signatures. Zarpeleh’s death has not yet received extensive media coverage.
