Justice for LaLa Clark Wilkesbarre, PA- Part 2

La’Niyah “LaLa” Clark was a 15‑year‑old Wilkes‑Barre teen whose disappearance and tragic death shook an entire community. Reported missing on January 17, 2026, after leaving her adoptive home, LaLa’s case quickly raised concern—especially after it was revealed that just days earlier, a protection‑from‑abuse order had been filed on her behalf against her biological aunt, Bobbiejo Etzel.
More than a month after she vanished, LaLa’s nude, battered body was discovered in the snow behind a garage on Thayer Street on February 21. The Luzerne County District Attorney later confirmed her identity and announced the arrest of Etzel on charges of corruption of minors and interference with custody.  Loved ones described the details as haunting, with her grandmother sharing that LaLa had been “left out there naked on the ground.”
Her death sparked outrage, heartbreak, and a growing call for accountability—leading to a public push for “Lala’s Law,” aimed at protecting vulnerable youth and strengthening oversight in cases involving custody and abuse concerns.
This episode explores LaLa’s life, the timeline of her disappearance, the investigation, and the community’s fight for justice in her name

https://www.grazianofuneralhome.com/obituaries/Laniyah-Nevaeh-Clark?obId=47480861&fbclid=IwY2xjawQZnVBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeg6jY5UisOimOYf2hNjZlzmiaoOaXyYrTEuMyrQM9iEEbVSpdQz996iLXWx8_aem_Sc9kVaKcp76PurL7f3_6og#/obituaryInfo

https://www.change.org/p/turn-tragedy-into-protection-lala-s-law?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=mobileNativeShare&utm_campaign=share_petition&recruited_by_id=bb8e2180-17f0-11f1-bddf-8f5980fe988d&share_id=ggfxgcmqyn

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587476829210

https://www.timesleader.com/news/1734322/aunt-jailed-at-lccf-on-custody-interference-related-to-deceased-teenager?fbclid=IwY2xjawQZrzRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeVc8utTKZAGcxpu_eXmiHPlqgYoxz5G32xvRsBPueeE5Oe8UDb04NKdaj_cI_aem_uHAKWUth0JN4ANAGqo-06g

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Hi everybody. True Crime with Tiff Klein here, giving criminals the disrespect they deserve. I am back after a week off and I had to study hard to pass a Pennsylvania state property and casualty license exam. I put about 92 hours in with no background and learned everything I needed to in three weeks to pass the test. It took me two attempts, but I did it. And now I'm studying another two weeks to take my life insurance exam. So hopefully on March 20th, I will be fully licensed for the state of Pennsylvania. So that's what I've been doing. Before I start tonight's episode, I wanted to thank you all. Um I hit 2,000 downloads today for my podcast, and I'm ecstatic. I started this in September, but it's something I've been wanting to do for years. And then I finally just pulled the plug and said, well, I don't know if that's a good analogy. I just said, heck it, heck with it, I'm gonna do it. And my brother has a degree in music and technology. And I had him put everything in my Amazon cart. I gave him a budget and he hooked me up. I bought it, and then he FaceTimed me and helped me set it all up. And I did a lot of research to learn how to record and had someone help me with knowing what websites to use. So here I am, 2,000 downloads later, and I thank each and every one of you for tuning in. I know 2,000 isn't a lot compared to some like Kendall Ray and Crime Weekly, but hey, they started somewhere too, right? So I thank all of you. And then I also found out this week that True Crime with Tiff Klein won best social media page in the Scranton Wilkes-Bare area. Every year, our newspapers do a best of the best categories, like 200 categories, and then you go in and you vote for your favorite, and then the top five get moved on to the next round, and then the winner comes out of that round. So I had made it to final round, and then I won best social media page. So it's my fifth win overall. My first with True Crime with Tiff Klein, but in the past I ran a food photography and social media marketing business called Klein's Corner. For those who live in my area, I won Best Local Blogger and Writer and Social Media Marketer four, four times since 2018, and then I got my fifth win this week. So thank you so much. I love social media. You guys know that. A little joke here, something I laugh about all the time. And I thought I would share it with you guys. So back, let me see, I graduated high school in 2006. And I want to say about 2004, 2005, we got a computer at my house, maybe 2003. And I was on the computer a lot. Like a lot. And my space was huge. And if you guys remember a page called Zanga where you could go on and it was like a blog, um, you could just write updates and add little um glitter emojis with like girls and bell bottoms and you know, glitter cats. And I don't know if you guys remember it, but I do very, very vividly. Um and we used Yahoo Messenger. And when someone logged in, you would hear the Yahoo vocal. And then when someone left, you'd hear the slam of the door. And it would keep my mom up all night. Because my mom sleeps on the couch a lot. She just sleeps better on the couch. And our family computer, you know, back before everybody had the cell phone, um, was in the living room. And I'd be up all night tap, tap, tapping away. And my mom and my older brother would literally make fun of me and like all you do is tap. That tapping is annoying. I hope one day you get paid to be on social media. I hope one day this all pays off and you get paid to be on there as much as you're on there. Wow. Jokes on them because um I became a social media marketing manager for lots of restaurants in Northeast PA. I started my own business doing it for restaurants and some other businesses, and then won some awards as best social media page, and now I'm doing a podcast and one best social media page for that. So it's something I've always loved to do. And I know I post a lot, but my thing is if you don't like it and you don't like my stuff in your feet all the time, unfollow me. I don't care. I don't. So it's it's something that has been a joke for a long time, and it's just like, well, who's who's laughing now? You know what I mean? Like I did make it into a side hustle. So I'm doing something I love that I get paid to do. Like, come on. Um, to connect with people, hell yeah. So I'm here I am. And now my mom's going on to KremCon with me. She's never been there before. So I'm I'm excited. She doesn't really follow true crime, but she knows like the big cases, like OJ and John Bene and Casey Anthony and whatnot. Um, I'm excited to introduce her to the other side of it, the advocacy side, the emotional side, the support and awareness side, and show her, you know, the side that I got to experience back in September in Denver, which was life-changing and was the best trip I ever went on. Um, emotional, actful, inspiring, educational. And I walked away with a lot of insight and I saw the world a little differently. So I'm excited to go back in May. And she's also going to Crime Starry Fest with me in Boston with my friend Aspen. I'll be set up with a table for True Crime with Tiff Klein. Um, Cheryl McCollum will be there. And Danny After Dark and your host Jules and some other people. Um, I posted a video today on the guests that have been registered so far. So check that out. They are on Instagram under Crime Starry. That's Crime S T-E-R-Y. You can buy tickets for the weekend or for the day. Um, it's in Danvers, Massachusetts. It's right outside Salem in Boston. That will be October 9th through the 11th. So we look forward to that. And then July, I'm returning as a sponsor and a volunteer for the third annual Gabby Petito Golf Fundraiser on July 17th at the Willow Creek Golf and Country Club again. It was a blast last year. I sponsored and volunteered, met so many amazing people that I've stayed in touch with, stayed in touch with, and my friend Aspen, who you may have heard on the last, not this past episode, the episode before. Um I met him at Creme Con in Denver and we stayed in touch. Talk almost every day. Um, he's also friends with Abby and Libby of Delphi. He's friends with their family and knows them very personally. And we did do a podcast that I posted two weeks ago. So check that out. He's going with me as a volunteer, so we're really excited. He's gonna fly in from North Carolina and then we're gonna drive to Long Island. So watch out, my partner in crime's coming. So those are some things coming up. But again, I just I just wanted to thank you all so much. It's it just I love doing this. This is a hobby, and if it grows into a career, awesome. But I I just have fun with it and I'm glad that you guys care and listen and support. And I would love some feedback if you guys can message me or leave comments on the platforms that you stream through and leave me an honest review and rating. I would greatly appreciate that, guys. So without further ado, I will get into this week's episode. This is gonna be a continuation of last week. This is gonna be part two for the Lala Clark case. Lala Clark unfortunately was found deceased in the end of February in Wilkes Bear, Pennsylvania, where I am from. For a quick recap, Lala was 15. She was deaf, and she was found face down, nude in the snow by a garage that her dad owned. And um, under her, they found a knife, and next to her, they found some scissors and a ribbon. She went missing on January 17th, 2026. She was reported missing, and um, the whole community was in an uproar, and they still are. Lala was not allowed to have contact with her aunt. Her aunt was not supposed to talk to her, be around her. There wasn't an actual PFA, and she broke that and violated it in October and had Lala with her for a few days. And they finally got Lala to come home. And because of that, when she went missing in January, the cops brushed it off as a runaway. There was no urgency on the case. Lala's parents reported her missing on January 17th. They also told the police three weeks before she was found the person of interest and a location on where to check. And apparently the the police of Wilkes Bear City did not go or look into that, like they were told to with a tip. The interest, the person of interest and the location has been tied back to connections with Lala's aunt, who, because violated and had charges for interfering with a minor back in October, she left the day that they found Lala's body. She left Luzerne County and they arrested her in Maryland. They did find her and they brought her back. She is in custody for that charge, but they are looking at her as a possible suspect of Lala's most recent disappearance and homicide because one, she wasn't supposed to be in contact with her, and two, she has connections with the address and the person of interest that her parents gave to the police. There was a man who was brought in for DNA testing, but he was released, and there's no updates on that. There's no updates on other suspects at this time with names being announced. There's nothing. Now, there is a lot of information held back from Lala's family advocate and family and the police, of course, because it could ruin investigation. I have been in contact with Lala's family advocate Candace and her mother Amira briefly. When this all started, I had Amira reach out to Missing an American Network and fill out a form to have a flyer made, and that was submitted and entered and posted. They tried since January 17th, and an amber alert was never made. Now, if you guys listen to my last episode in Pennsylvania and other states, there are criteria one has to meet to have an official amber amber alert released to the public. Not every single missing person gets an amber alert. However, I can see why this community is mad and pissed off and hurt and sad and want La La to have justice because all around there was no urgency and it was brushed off as a runaway. There is a purple alert in Pennsylvania that I'm just now learning about, and it's people with disabilities. As what I said, La La was deaf. So even that didn't make it into the purple alert, which is not good. You know, they should have at least put out a purple alert of a female minor, art of hearing, in the community missing, and there was nothing done. About two weeks ago, the community met at the Wilkes Bear City Police Department at 10 a.m. This included the family advocate, Candace, and Lala's family, adoptive family, and her biological grandmother. And a lot of the community showed up to support Lala. The police would not come out of the building. They did not make a formal statement. And there were a lot of back and forth between the adoptive family, who let's just throw that word adoptive out the window. I'm only gonna say it because it keeps the story clean for everybody to understand. But that was Lala's family. So between the adoptive family and her biological grandmother, there was a lot of going back and forth. And there was a meeting at the town hall where the community went in and voiced their opinions and demanded justice for Lala, including Lala's family. Now, quick recap: Lala was adopted in 2020, but she was with her adoptive parents for eight years, I think. And she was loved. She was loved by her adoptive family and she was loved by her biological family. And just because her biological parents could not care for her or her siblings anymore, does not mean that she wasn't loved. They were loved and they did the best that they could with what they could when they had her. But she was adopted. And Antoine and Amira took her in and they fell in love with her, and so did her siblings. And everybody that has posted about Lala seemed to say the same thing I did before reading her obituary. But before I really even read a lot of comments about her, I just watched some videos and looked at some photos. And the video that got me was it was Christmas, and Amira posted it, and it may have been this past Christmas, and she flipped over the sunglasses that she got. And I could just see it. Like her energy, she had this like boss energy. Like, you know, she walked into a room and you could just tell she owned it, you know. And that's just me watching a few videos that her her essence and her spirit just came through so hard in that video that I'm like, oh yeah. She's she's a badass, right? So she gets these glasses and she's freaking out, she's excited, but she talked with her eyes, you know. She was hard of hearing, so she she could do sign language, but she talked with her eyes. You could just tell what she was trying, like you could tell what she was saying without her having to sign or uh mouth. So I was like, man, she's opinionated that one. She's spunky, she's full of energy, she's got lots of spirit, and she'll tell you off and doesn't care, and she's herself, right? So I had messaged their advocate Candice and said this and then uh read the obituary, and like basically that's what it said. And I'm like, yeah, I mean, it came through. It came through in that video, and then I saw some other people, you know, say she she was loud and fun and you knew when she was around. So definitely keep posting those photos and videos of your loved ones, guys, because people who get invested to want justice for families and see justice for the victims, they get heavily invested, myself included. And when you give us a piece of who they were, it just brings us closer to them and makes us more passionate and more empathetic and sympathetic and wanting to help. And, you know, people who go missing and people who who end up deceased are not just another face on a milk carton. They are people, they are real people who left a mark on this world. No matter if it was one year, 15 years, 50 years. They left a mark. I believe everybody's put here for a reason. And sometimes things like this, I feel like happened for a reason. And I think things need to change. And maybe that was La La's destiny to be here, be a bright light, and exit and make a change. I said that about Gabby Bettito too. So sign language is beautiful. It's just something I've always wanted to learn. And I feel like this is the time to do it. And my whole life I've loved it. I just love how someone can speak without using words, how someone can convey a message and communicate with others without using words, without using nasty tones and sarcasm and just I mean, they could still do it through signing. I know that, but I just think it's beautiful. It's peaceful. Sign language is peaceful, and there's so many people out there who need assistance, who need interpreters, and I love it. It's just one of those, it's just one of those languages I I think is absolutely gorgeous. Um, I took French in high school in college and I couldn't tell you anything about it today and didn't take anything in high school. You know, you're supposed to learn a what a second language by the time you're four, but you know, the public education system fails us as usual. So they expect your brain to learn this really quick in a semester. So I think sign language should be mandatory. I'm sorry. I think that's the one language that should be so you can help people with disabilities. That's just my opinion. So it's something that I always put on my bucket list every year, and I never do it. But I think I'm gonna, and I can thank Lala for that for inspiring me because I just think it's beautiful. But I wanted to just follow up on last week's episode because this is a very important story. This is a a movement in Wilkesbury, Pennsylvania. And we're in a little borough in Luzerne County that's about 25 minutes from Scranton, and a lot of crime goes on here. Believe it or not, there is a lot. And every other day, there's a mass shooting. There's, well, I don't want to say mass, there's a shooting, there's drug problems, there's domestic violence, there's DYs, and it's just like every day. And then you hear stories like La La's, and it's just, it's heartbreaking. So her family advocate, Candace, went live last week and spoke the truth. She put out her story, put out her truth, put out her feelings, and that woman is working day and night to bring Lala justice. She is tired. She was sick and moving and grieving all at the same time, and still found time to show up online for 45 minutes and go live and tell the people the truth. Now, again, there's back and forth between the biological grandma and the adoptive family. And at the end of the day, what matters is Lala. What matters is the love people had for Lala. What matters is things change and this doesn't happen again. Candace has been a voice for the family, for Amira, for Antoine, for others. And she's constantly posting on Help Find La La Clark Facebook page. And that's how I got in touch with her. And I've had private conversations with her, and there's things I'd promised I wouldn't repeat until she, the family, or the police have released. That's why I really haven't gone live. That's why I haven't really made any more episodes. But again, her aunt is in custody as a possible suspect in connection to the case, but she's also in for charges from basically violating the PFA back in October. So she was picked up in Maryland, but did leave Lazerne County the day Lala was found. So what does that tell you? Um, but a lot of people have come out and posted pictures and videos and stories, and it's as heartbreaking as it is and sad. You can't help but smile when you see her. You just you can't. So I want to read you the obituary from the Graziano funeral home. Now, if you're from Northeast PA, you're probably familiar with that. But I'm gonna read it to you because not everybody has access to the internet. Not everybody can read. And I'm not being sarcastic, I'm not being an asshole. Like I'm reading this because I want to help people who maybe don't have access to it. Liniah Lala Clark was born on January 26th, 2011, in Flint, Michigan to Joseph Etzel and Anjolie McLoe. Her father, Joseph, preceded her in death. Liniah spent her early childhood with her biological parents and siblings. Although her parents loved her deeply, chances led her to being removed from their care. In 2018, Law was placed with the Clark family, and from the moment she arrived, she made an unforgettable entrance. Lala came into our lives like a wrecking ball, opinionated, fearless, and full of energy. She made her presence known immediately and commanded the full attention of everyone around her. It did not take long for the personality and spirit to leave a lasting impression on our family, they said. On March 17th, 2020, Lala was formally adopted to Antoine Clark and Amira Woods. That day was one of the happiest days of her life. She proudly wore a shirt, I love this. I love this. She proudly wore a shirt that said Team Clark on the front and no take backs on the back. A phrase that perfectly captured both her humor and the deep sense of belonging she felt with her forever family. Lala loved deeply and widely. She loved children, animals, music, and the many people she called friends. Most of all, she loved her family, all her family. She was proud to be an Etzel, a McClough, and a Clark. Lala carried big dreams in her heart. She hoped to one day become an American Sign Language interpreter, helping bridge communication in the deaf community that she loved so much. She dreamed of returning to Camp Hero, the deaf camp she attended every summer, not just as a camper, but a counselor. She was also looking forward to enrolling at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, where she hoped to continue learning, growing, and building lifelong friendships. Lala is survived by her biological mother and Jolie McClough, her six biological siblings, and her adoptive parents, Antoine Clark and Amira Woods. She also leaves behind her beloved siblings, Nydira, Antoine Jr., Amir, and Gabrielle, as well as her foster siblings, Aya, Angie, and Josh, who loved her dearly, and were proud to call her sister. I apologize if I did not pronounce some of those names correctly. I did my best. Anyone who knew Lala will never forget her laughter. It was big, joyful, and impossible to ignore. Her laugh echoed through every room she entered, just like her spirit did. Lala was a bright light, and that light was magnetic for drawing people in, lifting others up and leaving a lasting imprint on every heart she touched. Through her time here was far too short. The love, laughter, and unforgettable presence she brought into the world will live on in everyone who had the privilege of knowing her. Linaya Lala Clark will be deeply loved, forever missed, and never forgotten. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Graziano Funeral Home in Pittsden, Pennsylvania. Calling hours will be held on Saturday, March 14th, 2026, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Dr. Edwards Memorial Congregational Church at 668 Main Street, Edwardsville, Pennsylvania. Funeral services celebrating La La's life will begin at 11 a.m. Again, those calling hours are Saturday, March 14th from 9 to 11, and the funeral service is 11 to 12 on March 14th. All at Dr. Edwards Memorial Congregational Church, 668 Main Street, Edwardsville, PA. There is a website with this obituary. You can go to Graziano Funeral Home.com. It is on help find Lanaya Clark's Facebook page, but it's Graziano Funeral Home.com. There is a tribute wall, and you can plant trees in memory of Lanaya. You can leave comments, send flowers, and leave your condolences. I just wanted to read that so you have an idea. Um, if you can't get access to the obituary. Now, if you've been following the help find Lanaya Lala Clark page, you will see videos of Lala as a cheerleader, as a baby, birthday parties, just having fun. Curly hair that kid had. She looked like a spitfire. You just, I don't even know how to explain it. Like she just seemed like she was funny. I don't know. Like when she was around, she just goofed off and wanted to make people laugh. That's that's what I gather. She was very religious. And again, on her Facebook page, there's a hashtag justice4lala, Isaiah 4110. Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. W Via had posted that the Wilkes Par Wilkes Bear Police Department did not seek Amber Alert for La La, and another option went unused, prompting calls for new advisory types. Again, there wasn't an amber alert, and she wasn't put out on a purple alert either, which is disappointing because she did have a disability, and that that at least should have one out. And she was a minor. And on the Help Find Law Clark Facebook page, you know, they said there's been so much noise surrounding this tragedy, but the mission is to readjust the focus back to where it belongs on Lanaya, her smile, her innocence, and her life. She was pure, joyful, and deeply loved. And they said, let her smile be louder than the hate. Let her story be louder than the judgment. From John 1:5, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There is a petition around going around for Lala. I have signed it myself. There are up to 3,373 verified signatures. It's called Turn Tragedy into Protection, La La's Law. When a child goes missing, every minute matters. Yet our current alert system leave dangerous gaps. Lala Clark went missing, but an amber amber alert was not issued because there was no confirmed evidence of abduction at that time. Although she was a minor, deaf and vulnerable, with documented safety concerns, including an active protection from abuse order, the statutory criteria for an amber alert were not met. I'm having a hard time saying amber alert. Tragically, Linaia was later found deceased only blocks from where she was last seen. Earlier public alerts could have increased awareness, generated tips, and heightened urgency during the critical early hours of her disappearance. Her case exposes a systematic gap in child protection policy. Under current law, amber alerts require specific evidence of abduction. However, many children are clearly endangered even when the abduction cannot be yet confirmed. Children with disabilities, communication barriers, prior threats, custody disputes, active court orders, or documented safety risks may not meet narrow criteria. Leaving law enforcement without a rapid public alert tool during the most sensitive window. Data consistently shows that missing black and brown children receive less media coverage and slower public amplification compared to white children. Vulnerable youth from marginalized communities are statistically at greater risk of being overlooked, misclassified, or deprioritized. This disparity makes closing alert gaps even more urgent. No family should have to wonder where their child was endangered enough to qualify for public awareness. La La's law proposes the creation of a missing and endangered child alert that would activate when a minor is believed to be at credible risk of harm. There are documented safety threats, protective orders, or prime or I'm sorry, or prior criminal concerns. The child has a disability or communication barrier, increasing vulnerability, like Lala. Law enforcement determines immediate public awareness could aid recovery. This alert would not replace the amber alerts. It would function as a complementary tool, closing the gap between missing and confirmed abduction, so that vulnerable children receive rapid visibility when time matters most. The goal is simple. Ensure that no child falls through procedural gaps because their case does not meet a narrow definition. We cannot undo what happened to Linaya, but we can strengthen the system so no other family faces the same preventable silence. That is at change.org slash p slash turn tragedy into protection, la la is law, that is also on help find Linaya La La Clark Facebook page. And the petition starter was Candace, their family and community advocate working to honor Lanaya's memory by pushing for stronger protections from missing and endangered children. I read that right off the change.org website. You can sign the petition. There are decision makers. You know, you have James Vance, you have Donald Trump, you have Josh Shapiro, you have George Brown, you have Marty Flynn, James Haddock, Tony Brooks all listed there. We need this to pass. And this needs to be in every state, not just Pennsylvania. Not, not just Pennsylvania. There are, again, 3,373 verified signatures. I'm not sure exactly how many they need. I know with a lot, you know, there needs to be so many for it to go into effect, but hey, 3,300 is not bad. Lots of nice comments from people. Again, that's change.org. Turn tragedy into protection. Allah's law. So if you want to go over to the help find Lanaya La La Clark Facebook page, you can find the link there. I do know they were looking for an interpreter for the services. So if you can do that and and assist the family, that would be fantastic. But go on their page. Go and watch videos of this little girl because she was a spitfire. She just, I don't know. You'll know what I'm saying without me saying it when you watch her, because I I can't put it into words, which is kind of ironic considering she was hard of hearing and she used her hands to communicate. So it's almost like my throat chakra won't let me say the words. And it's more of a um an emotion that can't be put into words. And I think that's very ironic. So because I like to talk and I can talk, but for some reason I can't come up with the words for this. And it's just an emotion, you know? And I feel like sign language is an emotion. You you talk with your hands and sign, and it is, it's an emotion, you know. On their Facebook page on March 3rd, Candace, the advocate, did say the court has sealed portions of this case to protect the integrity of the investigation. That alone speaks to the seriousness and complexity of what is unfolding, and they respect that process. There have been reasons we could not publicly elaborate on certain things. When the full picture is eventually presented in court, we believe the community will better understand why we stood where we stood. Until then, we remain patient and committed to seeing justice through the properly and lawfully. Our focus remains on honoring Lala, protecting her legacy, and ensuring accountability through the proper legal channels. Justice is not rushed. It is built carefully. We miss you, Lala, and we'll never stop fighting for you. That comes from the link from the TimesLeader.com and it was called Aunt Jailed at LCCF on custody interference related to deceased teenager. Now you can see the aunt's mug shot Bobby Joe Etzel, and she was detained in Maryland in the Corrections or Maryland Department of Corrections. A woman was charged with corruption of minors and custody interference charges related to the deceased 15-year-old Liniah Clark and was returned to the Luzerne County over the weekend. Bobby Joe Etzel, 36, now this is her biological aunt, was jailed at the Lazerne County Correctional Facility on Saturday after, according to authorities, she was captured in Hagerstown, Maryland. A criminal complaint filed against Ensel was sealed by Lazerne County Court of Common Plea judge, Michael T. Vow on Thursday. Now again, this article came out March 3rd. Due to arrest records being sealed, Etzel's bail, if bail was set, remains unknown, including the date of her preliminary hearing. A news release from Lazerne County District Attorney Sam Sango Dolce and Wilkes Bear City Police Chief Michael Boyle states Etzel is charged with corruption of minors and interfering with the custody of a child. That's what she was charged on. She has not been charged yet as the perpetrator or the murder of Lala. The news release was issued after 4 p.m. on Friday, about 16 hours after Times leader reporters sent a message to the DA seeking confirmation that Etzel was apprehended in Maryland. The message was not returned Thursday night. Clark's body was found near a garage on Thayer Street in South Wilkes Bear. Now, for you who live around this area, it was over by Mark's bus group, the actual administrative office off Old River Road. That was on February 20th. As a result of the discovery, detectives with Wilkes Bear Police and the district attorney's office with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police Troop P forensic service unit searched an apartment building at 114 and 116 New Alexander Street, Wilkes Bear, less than three blocks from where Clark's body was found. Detectives spent several hours at the apartment building. As the DA said, a first floor apartment was the focus of the search. Clark was officially identified through dental records and other circumstantial evidence, according to Friday's news release. Because she was outside and nude and face down, um, I know I thought I heard the biological grandma say she was, you know, they couldn't identify her by her face, I believe. That could have been from blood pooling, that could have been from abuse. That information has not come out yet. But they did say that she was physically abused. An autopsy was conducted, but Lazerne County coroner Dion Fernandez on Tuesday said no information is being released on the cause and manner of death. The charges sealed against Etzel, according to the news release, relate to a protection from abuse order signed by Lazerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Tina Policek Gartley. She's the judge that put my PFA against my ex into effect. She's good. Signed by Lazerne County Court of Common Please Judge Tina Polichek Gartley on January 13th, 2026. The PFA application filed by Clark's adopted mother, Amir Woods, alleged Clark ran away from their South Wilkesbare home on October 12th, 2025. She found Clark at the residence of Etzel, this is back in October, whose address is listed at East North Hampton Street Wilkes Bear. A PFA was put into order January 13th, 2026. Day of October, November, December, 2025. January 13th, 2026 is the day that the PFA went into effect and signed by Judge Gartley. And Lala went missing four days later on January 17th. Okay, I'm gonna say that one more time. Allegedly, it was said that Lala ran away from her South Wilkesbear home on October 12th, 2025. And she was found by her adoptive mother and family at the residence of Etzel, her aunt, whose address is listed at East North Hampton Street Wilkes Bear. Now they didn't say that she actually, quote, ran away, but she ended up with her aunt. And they think she was coerced or manipulated into going. So that was October 12th. Came home a few days later. And then January 13th, 2026, Judge Gartley signed the PFA that her aunt Bobby Joe Etzel was not allowed to have contact with Linaia. Four days later, January 17th, 2026, Linaia went missing. Woods wrote in the PFA petition that Etzel instructed Clark not to communicate with Woods and for Clark to turn off her locator app on her cellular phone. Woods further wrote Clark has mental health issues and is highly emotional, and Etzel has urged Clark to run away. Clark's extended family and friends had voiced their concerns that the city police department did not do enough to find Linaia, who was deaf, when she was reported missing on January 17th. More than 100 people attended a visual on February 28th for Clark on Thayer Street. That is the newspaper article written on March 3rd by Ed Lewis of the Timesleader.com. Again, that article is also on the Help Find Linaya Clark Facebook page. There's a video floating around that her best friend Bella posted a video of herself signing Lala's favorite song. And in the bottom corner, you can see Lala signing. So Bella was her best friend, and there are a lot of kids hurting. And there have been parents that told Candace, the family advocate, that their children are now scared to walk places that they once felt safe and how much this changed their perspective on the world around them. A friend Bella did a beautiful tribute at the Vigil, and she has shown up, sharing posts, sending messages, crying, worrying, and loving Lala out loud. Again, you can sign the petition to help make sure this doesn't happen to other families. You can visit the help find Linaya Lala Clark Facebook page to show us your some support. And you can find videos and photos of Lala. There's one that was posted February 28th from the vigil with all the candles and photos and flowers and balloons. The community showed up. And, you know, there's just been a lot. It's been a little quiet. I haven't gotten any updates and I haven't talked to Candace in a few days. But last I knew she, you know, she did go live and she put the truth out there. And um she's tired. And they're grieving. And they're not gonna stop until uh Lala gets justice. I mean, the poor woman was in the middle of moving, was sick, grieving and going live because people are so hurtful and so mean and nasty in the comments, talking about things they have no idea what they're talking about. And that's one thing about being um on social media as much as I am, and a podcaster and trying to bring awareness to people is you see the meanest, nastiest comments and the most ignorant things people can say, with usually people who have no idea what they're talking about, have never educated themselves on homicide, suicide, domestic violence, who've never talked to the family themselves, who go down the rabbit hole and come up with these ridiculous conspiracy theories, who leave comments in the sections, and you know, these victims' families see these comments. Llama's family, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, friends, read these comments. If this was your kid, your grandkid, your niece, your nephew, your sibling, your student, your friend, you wouldn't want somebody writing nasty things about their family in the comments. Now I understand everybody has their side of the story. I get it. But if you're not involved in that circle, and then you have not been told information from the horse's mouth, then it's just best that you sit back, show your support to the family, and don't put your opinion in. Don't say, I think this happened, or this probably happened, because it doesn't help investigators. It doesn't help the family, and most of all, it doesn't help the victim. I can say this proudly and I can say this confidently because I once was one of those people years ago until I met Gabby Batito's parents, who made me quickly realize you cannot argue with everybody. They don't. They read comments once in a while, but they try their best to stay away from it because people are ignorant. People are so mean and disrespectful, it makes me it just makes me nauseous to see what humanity is like. You know, it's you can waste your time all day arguing with people who are trolls on the internet, or you can take your time and post things that matter, missing people, domestic violence, stories like la la, who need whose story needs to get out there so more things change and other families don't have to deal with this. Use your time on social media wisely. Don't argue with people, don't disrespect people, don't fight with people. Just do something that's productive, do something that matters. Share a missing person's flyer. Go sign the petition to help other families not have to deal with what they dealt with with Lala. Help other people with disabilities get a purple alert in Pennsylvania. Help other kids not have to be fit into a narrow window of criteria so they can get an amber alert or a system that complements the amber alert. Use your time wisely on social media. Use it as a platform to help, not to destroy, not to bring down. There's enough hate and negativity and ugliness in this world. Do and say something on social media that matters. If you're going to use time to use it, use it the right way. They shouldn't have to log on and read horrible comments of people. You know, this one said that and this one said that. No, you know, at the end of the day, it's this is what happened to Lala. We need to find out exactly what happened to Lala. We need to find out who did this to Lala, and we need to bring it to justice and make sure other families don't bring it in. That's what matters, not these conspiracy theories, not these rabbit holes people go down. And again, I can say this because I've spoken to the family advocate and the mother of Lala. And I can also say things about Gabby because I have met Gabby Batito's parents. I am on the well, I have met Gabby Batito's parents. I'm a volunteer for the foundation and have had conversations and I don't post things for a reason. I I try my absolute best to stay out of the groups where I see people posting a Gabby, and everybody's still the damn conspiracy theories and the bullshit, ignorant, disrespectful comments. And I I have learned to just not say anything and I flip out because it triggers me because I am a survivor of domestic violence and I see some of the things people say, and this happened to me the other day, and I flipped out, and Gabby's mom was like, you know what? We, you know, most of these people are ignorant and don't are educated anyway, don't even know what they're talking about. Like it's just a waste of time to read them. And I get that, and God bless them for being able to do that. The same thing with Lala. They see these comments, and people are on there not knowing what they're talking about. It's sad because it's not doing anything for the better good. It's not getting justice for people, it's not bringing the community together, it's not focusing on what's important, and that's the victim and the victim's families. You could probably hear it in my voice. I'm triggered right now because when I think of things, people just make me so mad. So please educate yourselves. And if you want more information on the La La Kirk, I keep saying Kirk. Sorry, Lala, La La Clark case, please just go to their Facebook page. They'll answer questions for you. They're very transparent. They go live, they post everything. And again, her service is March 14th, and her obituary is posted. And um, you can sign the petition at change.org. But that's the information I have. I don't have any other updates, nothing has come out. I'm sure once there are, Candace will uh let me know or post about it for everybody. And as of right now, you know, again, like she said, some things are sealed because it could hurt the investigation. And until there's any other updates, there's not much that I can provide. Um the things I do know that I can't say because I promised her I wouldn't. Uh, but it's nothing like critical, it's just little things that I promised I wouldn't repeat, and that's my duty. So I just wanted to give an update on Lala Clark. Again, born January 26th, 2011, went missing January 17th, 2026, and was deemed a deceased on February 21st, 2026. Now it has come out that Lala may have been alive up until 10 days before they found her, but that has not been verified, but it is suspected. So if these amber alerts went out, if these purple alerts went out, if there was more urgency, if places and people were investigated into when the tips were given, she could have been found alive. And this is where all of this is coming from. This is where the uproar um from the community against the Wilkes-Bearer City Police Department, because if the ball was dropped and this girl was alive up until 10 days before they found her, well, shake the Magic 8 ball. All signs point to yes. So I hope this little girl is in peace. I hope she gets that justice. I hope this makes a change for Pennsylvania, for Lazerne County, for the whole nation. I hope things are on the up. And as I told Candace, I think everything happens for a reason. And Lala definitely served a purpose here. So I think things are gonna change for Lazerne County and spread through the state of Pennsylvania, and we can only hope nationally, right? And it takes one person or one situation to make a change because if we all sit back and stay quiet and do nothing, then nothing changes. Change equals change. And it takes one person to speak up. If you see something, say something. And I always lead back to ending my podcast episode with just be nice, be kinder. And if you need help with domestic violence, go to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, visit thegbypetitofoundation.org. Now remember, guys, domestic violence is not just between partners. It can be partners, it can be any family member, child and parent, parent and parent, aunt and niece, just like Lala. If you know something, please say something, or reach out to the Wilkes Bear City Police Department to give tips or reach out to help find Lenaya Lala Clark Facebook page. Privately message them. They'll take anything you can give them. And they're very transparent. And they said, if you have something, turn it right into the police. You don't even have to send it to them. Just send it right to the police. So, you know, it doesn't hurt if you think if you think you have something, even if in the end it comes out that you don't, it's better than sitting on it wondering if it is. So do that. Do that for Lala. And I hope I hope there's some updates soon, and I'll come back with part three. This one is right here in my area, so I'm I'm trying my best to stay up on it. But I hope I answered some questions for those who have listened to the other podcast. Part one has more information, and this one it was just a follow-up just to give you some updates on what's going on. Um, thank you again for tuning in as always. And you can find me on iHeart, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat. This is true crime with Tiff Klein giving criminals the disrespect they deserve.