An Alabama family is devastated after an 18-year-old missing teen was found dead in a horrifying case that his parents say ended with his body being burned and dismembered in the woods.
Markavious “Mark” Rumph, 18, was first reported missing after he was last seen at a gas station in Eufaula, Alabama, on May 6, according to the Eufaula Police Department.
His family says he was last seen leaving with a friend before suddenly disappearing.
When Rumph failed to return home to his grandmother’s house, relatives immediately became worried and launched their own desperate search effort alongside volunteers.
For five days, loved ones searched through wooded areas and nearby roads hoping to find the teenager alive.
His mother, Yolanda Wynn, said she spent Mother’s Day walking through the rain searching for her son.
“Me and my family in the rain on Mother’s Day, I walked through those woods,” she told local outlet WRBL.
The following day, authorities confirmed that human remains had been discovered near a nearby roadway.
While police initially did not publicly identify the victim, Rumph’s family later confirmed the remains belonged to the missing teen.
Now, the grieving family says the circumstances surrounding his death are almost too horrific to comprehend.
Rumph’s father emotionally told reporters that whoever killed his son allegedly “burned my baby, shot my baby, burned him up and chopped him up.”
Authorities have not publicly confirmed those details as investigators continue working the case.
Rumph’s mother also claimed to WRBL that she received little help from local police while searching for her missing son.
As of now, the Eufaula Police Department has not publicly responded to those allegations.
Family members say Rumph had recently earned his GED and was working hard toward building a better future for himself.
According to a GoFundMe created for the family, the teenager had plans to attend welding school.
“Mark was an 18-year-old with a bright future ahead of him,” the fundraiser states.
Loved ones described him as someone who could light up any room.
“He was the life of the party. He was gonna make you laugh,” his father said.
Police have not yet announced any suspects or persons of interest in the case.
The Eufaula Police Department and Barbour County Sheriff’s Office continue investigating the teen’s brutal death.
Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact investigators as the heartbreaking case continues to unfold.