Michigan State Police have confirmed the person found deceased in the trunk of a car in Dearborn, Michigan on Sunday (11/27/2022) following a police chase, crash, and officer involved shooting is that of missing Murfreesboro woman Eleni Kassa.

31-Year-old Kassa was reported missing in Murfreesboro by family members on Nov. 18, a day after she failed to pick up her daughter from school.

The missing person investigation revealed a possible domestic violence incident occurred with Kassa and her girlfriend, 36-year-old Dominique Hardwick, following an argument at Kassa’s Murfreesboro apartment. Kassa’s cell phone and car were left at the apartment. The two were believed to be traveling in Hardwick’s black Dodge Charger with Tennessee license plate 7L87V2. 

Murfreesboro Police Criminal Investigations Division (CID) detectives conducted an exhaustive search for Kassa for more than a week, including two separate K9 searches, one of a nearby creek.  Detectives also spoke with family members, and several witnesses attempting to locate Kassa.  Multiple search warrants were also obtained, including one for the search of a home in Lebanon, Tennessee where Hardwick had been staying. 

CID detectives reached out to Ohio law enforcement officials after the tag on the Dodge was run by an Ohio State Trooper prior to the car being entered into the National Crime & Information Center (NCIC) database.

MPD Violent Crimes detectives then contacted Michigan State Police (MSP) who helped with the investigation after a license plate hit in Oakland County Michigan occurred, just outside of Detroit. 

Officers with the Dearborn Police Department attempted to stop the Charger around 2:00 o'clock Sunday (11/27/2022) afternoon. In Michigan, the vehicle pursuit ended with a shootout. Initially, the pursuit started when Dearborn Police tried to stop the vehicle because it was believed to be involved in the Murfreesboro, TN missing person case. The 36-year-old female suspect who was reportedly driving the car, allegedly ran from authorities and crashed shortly after the chase began. The crash happened near the city limits of Dearborn and Detroit, Michigan.

According to officials, when police approached the car an exchange of gunfire erupted between the woman and Dearborn Police Officers. During the exchange of gunfire, the suspect was shot and killed. The woman had one gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead on the scene. Police have not yet said if the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, but did report a 9mm Glock pistol was recovered from the suspect vehicle.

The vehicle involved in the pursuit was reported out of Murfreesboro, Tennessee as being part of the local missing person case. The vehicle was confirmed to be a 2020 Dodge SRT, black in color with Tennessee plates.

Kassa, the woman who was reported as missing in Murfreesboro, was later discovered dead in the trunk of the car in Michigan. Hardwick, the alleged suspect in the incident, also died; again, her wound was possibly from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head.

The Murfreesboro Police investigation continues.

PREVIOUS UPDATE - (Dearborn, Michigan) Michigan State Police now report the deceased body of a woman found in the trunk of a car involved in a pursuit was a 31-year-old female. That pursuit, which took place 560-miles away from Murfreesboro in Dearborn, Michigan is beleived to be related to a local missing person case. That person who was reported as missing is 31-year-old Eleni Kassa. 

In Michigan, the vehicle pursuit ended with a shootout this past Sunday (11/27/22), after the suspect allegedly fled from Dearborn Police. Initially, the pursuit started when Dearborn Police tried to stop the vehicle because it was believed to be involved in a missing person case. The 36-year-old female suspect who was reportedly driving the car, allegedly ran from authorities and crashed shortly after the chase began. The crash happened near the city limits of Dearborn and Detroit, Michigan.

According to officials, when police approached the car an exchange of gunfire erupted between the woman and Dearborn Police Officers. During the exchange of gunfire, the suspect was shot and killed. The woman had one gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead on the scene. Police have not yet said if the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, but did report a 9mm Glock pistol was recovered from the suspect vehicle.

The vehicle involved in the pursuit was reported out of Murfreesboro. The vehicle was confirmed to be a 2020 Dodge SRT, black in color with Tennessee plates.

After the scene was secured by officers, human remains were discovered in the trunk of the vehicle that the suspect was driving. Michigan State Police reported on Monday the human remains found in the suspect’s car were that of a 31-year-old woman. According to Michigan State Police, the deceased woman found in the trunk appeared to have trauma that was not the result of the crash.

Michigan State Police confirmed they are working with detectives from the police department in Murfreesboro where 31-year old Eleni Kassa was reported as missing.

Murfreesboro Police released a statement around 10:30 on Monday morning about the incident and suggested they are not confirming or denying the 31-year-old woman found in the trunk of the suspect vehicle is or is not 31-year-old Eleni Kassa who was reported as missing in Murfreesboro on Friday, November 18, 2022. The statement released by Murfreesboro Police said, “The Murfreesboro Police Department Office of Public Information has not released nor confirmed any updated information regarding Murfreesboro missing person Eleni Kassa. We are monitoring a situation that occurred Sunday in Dearborn, Michigan involving a police pursuit, officer-involved shooting, and death investigation. Murfreesboro police detectives have been in touch with Michigan State Police, the lead investigating agency, and are awaiting the results of their investigation, including the identities of parties involved.”

A 34-year-old female passenger in the vehicle that was involved in the shootout was transported to the hospital. Her condition has not been released, but police previously said she was detained. 

WGNS will continue to follow this story. 

Read more about the recent missing person case in Murfreesboro, TN HERE. It is important to note, police have not said, nor denied the case in Murfreesboro is directly tied to the incident (above) in Michigan.

DISCLAIMER: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The arrest records or information about an arrest that are published or reported on NewsRadio WGNS and www.WGNSradio.com are not an indication of guilt or evidence that an actual crime has been committed.

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