PORT ANGELES — Police on Tuesday positively identified the teenager whose body was found Sunday along a muddy path leading from the Waterfront Trail near Hollywood Beach.
Melissa Leigh Carter, 15, was the daughter of Christopher L. Carter of Port Hadlock and Carla J. Carter of Salem, Ore.
Christopher Carter has no permanent residence, according to Jefferson County law enforcement authorities.
Melissa Carter is thought to have two brothers living homeless in Port Angeles, police said.
A third brother lives with his mother in Oregon, according to associates of the girl.
Delayed identification
She was found by two Port Angeles men at about 3 p.m. Sunday. Her identification had been delayed because animals had damaged her features.
The girl was a frequent visitor to the Dream Center drop-in haven for homeless teenagers. It is located at 222 E. Third St., about seven blocks from where her body was found in shrubbery on the side of a bluff overlooking Port Angeles Harbor.
With her mother’s permission, she had been staying at an acquaintance’s home in Port Angeles, but was reported as a runaway on Thursday.
She was last seen that same day at a small party at the Chinook Motel, 1414 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
Port Angeles Police Chief Tom Riepe urged anyone who knew the girl or who has information about the case to call police at 360-452-4545.
