La’Niyah Clark Parents Lead Protest Over Police Response in Teen Homicide Case
Feb. 26, 2026 — Wilkes-Barre, Pa. The La’Niyah Clark parents, adoptive mother Ameerah Woods and father Antoine Clark, rallied more than 50 supporters outside Wilkes-Barre police headquarters on Feb. 25 to demand urgency in the investigation of 15-year-old La’Niyah “Lala” Clark’s disappearance on Jan. 17, after a body matching her description was found behind a Thayer Street garage on Feb. 21-22 and ruled a homicide by authorities according to family statements.
La’Niyah Clark, a hearing-impaired Black girl who sometimes was reported as 14 years old, left her adoptive father’s house before vanishing. Her La’Niyah Clark parents reported her missing that day but accused police of delays in assigning a detective, issuing alerts or classifying her as endangered despite vulnerabilities including her age and disability, as detailed in local coverage.
“There should’ve been some urgency because she is a child, she’s a minor, she was deaf.”
Ameerah Woods, who learned sign language for La’Niyah, made the statement during the protest reported by the Times Leader.
Family Background and Tensions
The La’Niyah Clark parents had adopted her after child services removed La’Niyah from her biological mother in Illinois in 2020, with biological grandmother Sabrina Smith describing her as “an amazing kid” with a history of running away. Adoptive grandmother Carmen Tinson added at the rally:
“She didn’t deserve to go through this… Tomorrow it could be your child.”
Tensions surfaced between adoptive and biological family sides, including a prior protection-from-abuse order involving Antoine Clark and aunt Bobbiejo Etzel.
Investigation Details
Police are investigating the death as a homicide pending official identification and autopsy, with family notified and cooperating per Fox56 reporting. Warrants were executed at a related apartment. An X post confirmed family statements on the homicide ruling and noted a necklace with her biological father’s photo from the initial missing alert here.
The La’Niyah Clark parents continue seeking answers amid the ongoing probe.
