Case of murdered teen found in park turned over to DA’s Office, Baytown police say

Jania Tatum-Scott was found shot to death in December 2021

BAYTOWN – Baytown police say they have turned over the case of a murdered teenage girl to the district attorney’s office to present to a grand jury for possible charges.

This development comes as family and friends of 15-year-old Jania Tatum-Scott are dealing with new heartbreak after someone burned down a memorial in her honor.

The Sterling High School student’s body was discovered on Dec. 28, 2021, in a field at Tejas Park.

Her family and friends created a memorial at the spot where she was found, keeping it up with fresh flowers and mementos for the last 10 months.

“I’ve been with her mom every step of the way with this memorial. We go to the store, we pick the decorations, and we just come out here and celebrate her life. We’ll come out here and you’ll see more flowers, teddy bears, books, all kinds of little books,” said Christine Simon, a close friend of Jania’s mother, Angie Tatum.

But on Friday, family members discovered someone had torched the tribute, turning the little treasures left for Jania into ash.

“I was just hurt and confused. I cried very hard because it doesn’t make sense why someone would do this,” said Raven Reed, Jania’s childhood friend.

Family and friends say they hope this latest heartbreak will turn into a breakthrough.

“What this person meant for evil actually turned out to be good because her name is brought back up again and it gets to shine a light back on her case so we can get justice. Her mom and family can get justice,” Simon said.

Baytown police did not respond to requests for additional information about possible suspects in the case.