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St. Petersburg woman found dead, toddler son missing, police say

Police say 2-year-old Taylen Mosley “could be in danger.” An Amber Alert has been issued for him.
 
St. Petersburg police say Pashun Jeffery, 20, left, was found dead in her St. Petersburg apartment and her two-year-old son Taylen Mosley is missing Thursday afternoon.
St. Petersburg police say Pashun Jeffery, 20, left, was found dead in her St. Petersburg apartment and her two-year-old son Taylen Mosley is missing Thursday afternoon. [ St. Petersburg Police Department ]
Published March 30, 2023|Updated April 1, 2023

A woman was found dead in her St. Petersburg apartment Thursday afternoon and her 2-year-old son is missing, according to a news release from the city’s police department.

Related: FRIDAY UPDATE: Missing St. Petersburg boy found dead; father arrested on 2 murder counts

No details were given about the death of the woman, who police identified as 20-year-old Pashun Jeffery. Jeffery’s body was found at Lincoln Shores Apartments, located at 11601 4th St. N, around 2:30 p.m., the release said.

The contents of a vehicle are seen on the ground as detectives investigate the scene where a young mother was killed, and her 2-year-old son disappeared Thursday in St. Petersburg.
The contents of a vehicle are seen on the ground as detectives investigate the scene where a young mother was killed, and her 2-year-old son disappeared Thursday in St. Petersburg. [ CHRIS URSO | Times ]

Her missing son, Taylen Mosley, “could be in danger,” according to the release. An Amber Alert has been issued for the child and a search is underway.

An Amber Alert notification sent to mobile devices classified Taylen as a “Kidnapped Child.”

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement released a poster regarding missing toddler Taylen Mosley as officials continue to search for him.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement released a poster regarding missing toddler Taylen Mosley as officials continue to search for him. [ Florida Department of Law Enforcement ]

Jeffery’s family got worried because they hadn’t heard from her, so a family member came to check on the apartment Thursday afternoon and found her dead and her son missing, police said. They said neighbors told them they had heard some type of noise coming from the unit earlier, but it wasn’t “memorable enough” to call authorities.

Police described Jeffery’s death as a “very violent homicide.”

Significant law enforcement presence was seen at the complex. Outside Jeffery’s apartment, authorities examined a blue Nissan sedan. Officers unloaded the car’s contents and set up cones to mark possible evidence.

Police officers and detectives are seen near a vehicle and apartments at Lincoln Shores Apartments, Thursday in St. Petersburg. Police found the body of Pashun Jeffery, 20, in her apartment Thursday afternoon and said her 2-year-old son, Taylen Mosley, is missing.
Police officers and detectives are seen near a vehicle and apartments at Lincoln Shores Apartments, Thursday in St. Petersburg. Police found the body of Pashun Jeffery, 20, in her apartment Thursday afternoon and said her 2-year-old son, Taylen Mosley, is missing. [ CHRIS URSO | Times ]

A bloodhound from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit was brought to the scene to try to track the toddler. Police also are using drones and a helicopter in the search.

A group of narcotics officers also were seen at the apartment complex. They briefly examined a pond near Jeffery’s unit. A flatbed truck took a trash dumpster to be examined for possible evidence.

A K-9 unit from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office searches for evidence at the apartment complex where police say 20-year-old mother Pashun Jeffery was killed and her 2-year-old went missing.
A K-9 unit from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office searches for evidence at the apartment complex where police say 20-year-old mother Pashun Jeffery was killed and her 2-year-old went missing. [ CHRIS URSO | Times ]
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But few details about what happened at Lincoln Shores were available by sunset Thursday.

Anyone with information is asked to call St. Petersburg police at 727-893-7780.

Times staff writer Amy Gehrt and staff photographer Chris Urso contributed to this report.