04/07/2026
UPDATE: REMAINS FOUND IN BERKELEY BACKYARD ARE NOT SHEMIKA COSEY
An update in the case of missing teen Shemika Cosey has brought more questions than answers.
Shemika Cosey was reported missing on December 30, 2008, from a relative’s home on Nevis Court in Berkeley. She was just 16 years old at the time and has not been seen or heard from since.
On March 31, investigators with the Berkeley Police Department followed up on a tip and searched multiple backyards in the 6100 block of Jefferson Avenue with the help of cadaver dogs. After the dogs alerted to a specific area, a search warrant was obtained and investigators began digging. During the excavation, bone fragments were recovered and sent to the St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Authorities have now confirmed that the remains found were not human, but instead belonged to an animal.
The excavation was paused due to weather, but police say they will resume once conditions improve and continue to follow every lead in this case.
We know her family will continue to advocate for Shemika and keep searching for answers. We want to extend our prayers to her family, especially her mother, who has been working nonstop to find out what happened to her missing baby.
