Morgan Keyanna Martin
Morgan, circa 2012; Jacobee Flowers, circa 2016; Morgan's tattoo
- Missing Since 07/25/2012
- Missing From St. Petersburg, Florida
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Sex Female
- Race Biracial, Hispanic, White
- Date of Birth 12/01/1994 (29)
- Age 17 years old
- Height and Weight 5'2, 175 pounds
- Clothing/Jewelry Description A hot pink hooded jacket or hooded sweatshirt with fur trim on the collar, a white tank top, gray sweatpants and fuzzy pink slippers.
- Medical Conditions Morgan was four months pregnant with a girl at the time of her disappearance; the baby, whom she planned to name Ja'Leah Raquel, was due in January 2013.
- Associated Vehicle(s) White car
- Distinguishing Characteristics Biracial (Caucasian/Hispanic) female. Black hair, brown eyes. Morgan has a tattoo of the words "Hispano Raza" on her right hip; a photo of the tattoo is posted with this case summary. She has a dog bite scar on the left side of her lip and chin, and a large scar on her foot. She is of Puerto Rican descent.
Details of Disappearance
Morgan was last seen sitting in an armchair just outside the front door of her residence in the 2800 block of 17th Avenue South in St. Petersburg. Florida at 12:20 a.m. on July 25, 2012. She was talking to 24-year-old Jacobee Rashaude Flowers, whom she claimed was the father of her unborn child. She said she planned to give him the results of an ultrasound of her pregnancy.
One witness saw a white car parked in the house's driveway, but didn't see Morgan approach the vehicle. She apparently never came back inside and has never been heard from again. She left behind her purse, the sonogram picture of the baby and other belongings; only her phone disappeared with her.
Police characterized Morgan's disappearance as "ominous" due to her pregnancy, the fact she left everything behind, and the fact that it's completely out of character for her to leave without warning. She routinely called her mother several times a day. She did run away once when she was fifteen, went to a friend's house and called a relative from there; she was back home within a day.
Morgan normally spoke to her mother every day. She was also a prolific user of social media; all the activity on her accounts stopped after her disappearance. She had a job at a Checkers restaurant, and she left behind her paycheck. She was reportedly excited about her pregnancy and upcoming motherhood, and her family had accepted the situation.
In June 2016, almost four years after Morgan's disappearance, Flowers was indicted for first-murder in her case. He was already in custody on unrelated charges of fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer at the time of the indictment, and was due to be released on July 1.
A photo of Flowers is posted with this case summary. He had told police he knew Morgan but said he hadn't seen her for months before her disappearance. He denied that he was her unborn baby's father or that they had ever had sex; he said online messages between them discussing her pregnancy were only "playing make believe."
Investigators stated Flowers didn't want Morgan to have the baby because he was already supporting three children, and she threatened to report him for statutory rape unless he admitted paternity and paid child support for her daughter. They also said Flowers's alibi for the night of Morgan's disappearance had numerous inconsistencies.
In the spring of 2022, Flowers reached a plea agreement with the prosecution and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Morgan's death. The agreement was that if he led police to Morgan's body, he would be sentenced to 25 years in prison, but if he did not, he would get 40 years in prison.
Flowers stated Morgan's remains were buried in a four-foot-deep grave in Pike County, Alabama, about 450 miles from where she disappeared. Authorities went there with a cadaver dog and an excavator and dug on the northbound side of U.S. 231, but the search turned up nothing, even after investigators brought Flowers himself to the site to direct them.
Per the plea agreement, Flowers was sentenced to 40 years in prison for Morgan's murder. Her body has never been found, but foul play is suspected due to the circumstances involved.
Investigating Agency
- St. Petersburg Police Department 727-893-7780
Updated 7 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated April 16, 2022; details of disappearance updated.