Family of Teen Found Dead in Car in Tow Lot Speaks Out: 'He Would've Lived'

The family of a Milwaukee teenager who was found dead in a car in a tow lot is demanding answers from police.

The body of James Stokes, 17, was found in the back of a stolen Kia SUV four days after a crash in the Parkway Hills area of the city.

Stokes was in a car that crashed into a tree on June 1 and that his body was not found until Monday, June 5, according to Fox6. It followed days of searching and pleas from his family to find him.

In the state of Wisconsin, 596 people were killed as a result of vehicle crashes in 2022, according to Milwaukee legal firm Warshafsky Law. A total of 115,694 crashes were reported. The state's deaths-per-reported-accident rate is slightly higher than the national average.

Milwaukee police told the network that the SUV had been stolen, that another teenager was found injured near the scene but that Stokes was nowhere to be found.

Stokes' mother, Kina King, said she tried to file a missing person's report just after the crash happened but that police told her he had not been gone long enough. She then searched the area close to the crash, made flyers and filed a report in a bid to find the teenager.

King said to CBS58: "James, he protected me. He was my protector. When my house was getting shot up, he put his body over me so I wouldn't get hurt.

"He would've lived if they had just searched and looked back there. He was probably moaning," King added.

Stokes' sister Danielle Carey told ABC affiliate WISN12: "He was my number one protector. Always the first person I would call."

Andre Davis, who witnessed the crash, told Fox6: "[I] saw a white truck on the wrong side of the lane, speeding towards me.

"Came past and went straight through the red light. Next thing I know, I hear a big old boom, and see the dude ejected from the car. I didn't see anybody run from the truck."

Milwaukee police officers told Fox6 on Tuesday that three people were in the car and that no one had been taken into custody.

Officers and the Department of Public Works are now investigating what happened and why it took several days for Stokes' body to be found in the tow lot.

In a statement sent to Newsweek, a spokesperson for the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) said: "MPD is aware that the vehicle was towed to the tow lot on June 1, 2023. On June 1, 2023,at approximately 6:09 p.m., MPD officers responded to a crash on North 91st Street and West Fond du Lac Avenue.

"When officers arrived, they located a crashed vehicle that struck a tree. The vehicle was later determined to be stolen. The driver of the vehicle, a 16-year-old male, was a short distance away from the vehicle.

"MPD observed that the driver had injuries, and called for medical assistance to render aid. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-fatal injuries and was arrested. The vehicle was severely damaged and MPD arranged for the vehicle to be towed."