Body of Ohio woman who vanished in July is found under pile of clothes on apartment balcony

Body found by cleaner in apartment where previous tenant was evicted

Audreona Barnes was found dead after being missing since July (Akua Avegnon / WOIO)

The body of an Ohio woman who vanished last July has been found under a pile of clothes on an apartment balcony in Cleveland.

Audreona Barnes, 19, was reported missing in July 2021. Her body was discovered by a cleaner who moved the pile of clothes and discovered her body on Thursday, police told WJW.

Police added to WOIO that the person who previously lived in the apartment had been evicted in the middle of March.

A cause of death has yet to be announced and the authorities haven’t revealed how long Ms Barnes is thought to have been dead.

She was last seen on July 30, 2021, and she spoke to her family on the phone that afternoon.

Warrensville Heights detective Gregory Curry said Army recruiters had picked up Ms Barnes at her boyfriend’s home and had later dropped her off at the same place, but that it was unclear if she entered the residence or walked somewhere else, WOIO reported.

Ms Barnes’ mother, Akua Avegnon, said her boyfriend received a text from her daughter, but that the message “didn’t seem like it came from her”. It was the last time Ms Barnes was in contact with anyone.

Mr Curry told 19 News that foul play hasn’t been ruled out and that he tried to interview Ms Barnes’ boyfriend but that he hasn’t been able to do so.

Ms Barnes was found in the same neighbourhood where she was last seen.