College Student Who Vanished After Birthday Night Out with Friends Is Found Slain, Suspect at Large

Photo: Houston Police

On Monday, Houston policeannounced in a press conferencethey had issued an arrest warrant for Jordan Potts in connection with the July 25 murder of 21-year-old Shawtyeria Waites.

Potts' whereabouts remain unknown as police continue to search for him.

Waites was reported missing two days later.

For two weeks, the police department’s Missing Persons Unit investigated the case, until Aug. 13, when evidence of possible foul play was discovered. Waites' case was reassigned to the Homicide Division.

While an autopsy on the remains is pending, Lt. W.L. Meeler of the Houston Police Department said Monday that investigators believe they belong to Waites.

“I really want to offer heart-felt condolences to Shawtyeria Waites' family,” Meeler said. “Having your child, your loved one, taken away from you like this is unacceptable.”

Houston Police Department

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Waites, who was originally from New Mexico, had moved to Houston to attend school at Prairie View A&M University, activist Quanell X said during an Aug. 8 press conference with Waites' family,KHOU reports.

On the night of her murder, she had been out celebrating her birthday with two friends when the group met Potts, who invited them back to his apartment.

“It was never a plan to continue a party,” Quanell X said. “We believe it was a plan to kidnap these young girls and only one went in and one has never been seen again.”

It’s unclear whether Waites and Potts had met on a dating app before the encounter. Meeler warned other women to be careful since Potts remains at large.

“We’re asking the public’s help in finding him. Look at this individual, if you see him, if he tries to communicate — it looks like this is a pattern of his, trying to communicate with females in this manner,” Meeler said. “So what I’d like to say is be careful with who you deal with out there on social media, through dating apps, et cetera.”

Anyone with information in the case or of Potts' whereabouts is urged to contact Houston police at 713-308-3600 or Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

source: people.com