KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The family of 26-year-old Desheena Kyle is mourning after Knoxville police confirmed they found her body at a North Knox County home Tuesday three months after her disappearance.
The Knoxville Police Department said Thursday the Regional Forensic Center confirmed the unidentified body found Tuesday was her and ruled her death as a homicide. No charges have been filed yet, but investigators are working with the Knox County District Attorney General's Office regarding prosecution.
Officers found Kyle's body at a home in the 6900 block of Sam Tillery Road in North Knoxville Tuesday afternoon during their investigation into her whereabouts, saying they were following a lead developed through evidence.
The family said the home belonged to a relative of Kyle's former boyfriend, John Bassett.
“This morning, I was thinking about that. I'm never gonna get to talk to her. What am I gonna do without her?” Kyle's grandmother Betty Deas said.
She said they never thought they'd be here, and said the thought of losing Kyle is "unimaginable."
“It's just so hard to talk about her like she's gone. I mean, that's extremely hard for me to talk about her in the past. It's like she's gone,” Deas said. “I cannot believe that this has happened. This is so senseless…It just hurts so bad to know that Desheena is gone. She should be here.”
The family said they feared this outcome after months without hearing from their loved one, but held onto hope she would be found safe.
“She was a very funny, outgoing, you know, full of life, love of life. She loved her family. I've talked to Desheena all the time,” Deas said.
Kyle was reported missing June 28, but the last time anyone in her family heard from her was June 18.
Investigators said initially they suspected she could have been in danger before naming her ex-boyfriend, 28-year-old John Bassett, as a person of interest in her disappearance in late September.
Police arrested Bassett on July 7 for a probation violation warrant, officials said.
After he was arrested, police said that additional drug and weapon charges were placed on him. Court records also show that Bassett was previously charged with domestic assault against Kyle in 2014 after he got into an argument with her.
Authorities said they searched for Kyle for hundreds of hours, interviewing possible witnesses and following up on several leads. The Special Crimes, Violent Crimes, Organized Crime and Internet Crimes Against Children units are involved in the investigation, they said.
“The KPD has never tired on this case and will continue to work vigorously to find Desheena,” Chief of Police Eve Thomas said in a release. “We have developed significant leads and made substantial progress on this case. We have also received numerous tips on the case, and we know that there are people still out there who have answers. We ask anyone who has information that could assist investigators to please come forward.”
Her family had repeatedly pleaded for help finding Kyle, and a search was organized with several members of the community leading the efforts. The search was led by Protect Our People Tennessee, a community group that advocates for underserved communities.