MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Arlene Cunigan, the adoptive mother of a young man whose body was found in an abandoned apartment complex in South Memphis, is speaking out and looking for answers.
Earlier this month, Memphis Police said a man whose decomposing body was found in an abandoned South Memphis apartment complex had been shot multiple times. That man was later identified as 19-year-old Dontavious McKinzy. His mother said she found her son’s body at the Warren Apartments. She said her son was a good man that loved playing football, and she does not understand why, or how this happened.
“I didn’t even go all the way in there,” Cunigan said. “The only things I saw were his feet and his pants, and I knew it was him.”
Cunigan described the scene as a place no parent would ever want to go to discover their child. She said she received a phone call on a Monday that her son had not been seen and no one knew where he was. In fear something bad had happened, Cunigan said she called Memphis Police to file a missing person report.
“The police told me there wasn’t too much they could do about it because he’s 19, and he’s considered grown. And I’m like no. My son would’ve came home. He would’ve called,” Cunigan said.
Not taking that response as a final answer, Cunigan said she decided to take matters into her own hands. She said on that Wednesday, she reached out to who she believed was the last person to see her son. She said she continued to search various places until she got to the Warren Apartments. There, she smelled a loud odor and began following it and had no idea she would cross paths with her son’s body.
“My kid’s daddy had walked in there,” Cunigan said. “And he said ‘don’t come in here. It’s him. It’s him.’ and I just got to screaming and hollering.”
As of right now, it’s unclear how long McKinzy’s body had been there. His murder is now among the nearly 200 homicides in the city of Memphis this year. However, his family says they refuse to let his murder remain unsolved.
“Why would you take his life? You could’ve beat him up. You didn’t have to shoot him,” Cunigan said.
McKinzy’s father, Dontreal Mckinzy, echoed Cunigan. He said they just want answers and want people to tell the truth. He said they just want justice for their child.
Memphis Police said they would comment on McKinzy’s homicide on Monday.
Note: Other family members on Monday identified Arlene Cunigan as Dontavious McKinzy’s adoptive mother. The story has been updated.
