More often than not, women and children are the victims of domestic violence. Situations can quickly escalate if abusers have access to firearms. Tragically, a Washington man shot and killed his ex-girlfriend and her young daughter last year — and he was recently sentenced for his crimes.
Kirkland Warren, 28, of Vancouver, Washington, previously pleaded not guilty to charges related to the 2023 deaths of Meshay Melendez, 27, and her daughter, Layla Stewart, 7. However, he recently changed his plea before the case went to trial. And now, Warren’s fate has been decided.
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In 2023, a passerby discovered what they initially thought were life-sized mannequins in rural Washington.
On March 22, 2023, a person reported seeing what they thought were two “life-sized mannequins” in a rural area near Washougal, Washington, KPTV-TV reported.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 911 call, and they discovered the bodies of Melendez and Stewart. A police statement detailed that Melendez suffered from one gunshot wound to her left temple, while the 7-year-old had two bullet wounds to her head.
Samples from the 7-year-old's body led investigators to Warren.
Police found the 7-year-old’s body naked from the waist down, according to court documents via KOIN-TV. Because of the child’s condition, investigators obtained samples from her body to determine whether she was sexually assaulted. The samples linked investigators to Warren, who was then also accused of raping the child before killing her.
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Warren was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to two charges.
In September, Warren pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated murder and second-degree murder in the deaths of Melendez and her daughter, KGW-TV reported. He also entered an Alford plea to first-degree child molestation, meaning he accepted the conviction while still maintaining his innocence. On October 8, a Clark County Superior Court judge sentenced Warren to life in prison without parole.
Before Melendez and Stewart's bodies were found, they were last seen alive on March 12, 2023.
The mother and daughter were last seen alive in Vancouver on March 12, 2023 — 10 days before their bodies were found. An acquaintance told investigators they witnessed Melendez “passed out” in the passenger seat of Warren’s car that morning. Warren allegedly brought the girl into the vehicle from inside the acquaintance’s house and drove away.
Family members shared their grief in response to the murders.
“Losing a child is an unimaginable tragedy, and it’s hard to think of all the milestones she will never get to experience,” Stewart’s father said, per KGW-TV.
“The day I lost them, I lost a part of myself,” she wrote in a statement, according to The Columbian. “A part of me died with my girls. I am no longer a girl mom. I am no longer a grandmother.”
