A Washington, D.C. mother is searching for the truth after her 17-year-old son vanished following a police chase. Months later, she believes authorities are withholding crucial information about his disappearance.
On January 15, Nyair Raymond left his family’s home around 5 p.m., not knowing it would be the last time his loved ones saw him. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, officers attempted to pull over a black Kia Sportage for a traffic violation. When the car stopped, both the driver and the passenger fled on foot.
The 18-year-old driver was arrested at the scene, but Raymond… believed to be the passenger… managed to escape and hasn’t been seen since. Authorities officially listed him as missing three days later.
Sharnell Ford, Raymond’s mother, was informed that her son had jumped out of a stolen vehicle during the pursuit near the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. Witnesses say he was last seen under the bridge.
Days after his disappearance, Ford learned that Raymond’s phone had been recovered in the area. A week later, his jacket was found submerged in the Anacostia River… over an hour away from where he was last reported seen.
Then, on March 7, a body was discovered in the river. While police have not yet confirmed its identity, Ford fears the worst.
Ford told reporters that authorities have prevented her from viewing the remains. “They’ve had that body for over a week, and they’re telling me they won’t let me see it,” she said.
She also believes there’s more to the story than what police are revealing. “My son has been wronged somewhere,” she stated, demanding to see body camera footage from the night of the chase. “I want to know what they did and what they didn’t do. Something happened under that bridge.”
Raymond’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign, describing him as a “very outgoing young man with a promising future” who deeply loved his family. They hope to raise enough money to offer a reward for any information leading to his whereabouts.
Meanwhile, the police investigation remains ongoing, but Ford won’t stop until she gets the answers she desperately seeks.
