2nd caretaker of 9-year-old girl found dead in Youghiogheny River charged
A second woman was charged in connection with the death of Renesmay Eutsey, a 9-year-old girl whose body was found in the Youghiogheny River on Thursday.
Sarah Shipley, 35, of Dunbar Borough was charged with homicide as well as aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, abuse of a corpse, concealing the death of a child and tampering with evidence.
Officials say she was Renesmay’s legal guardian, TribLive news partner WTAE reported. She was reportedly in a relationship with Kourtney Eutsey, who was previously charged with similar counts to Shipley, including homicide.
Shipley is receiving treatment at a hospital and will be arraigned after her release, Fayette County District Attorney Michael Aubele said in a social media post Friday.
She overdosed inside a Dunbar Township home, WTAE reported.
“We thank the public for their patience in allowing law enforcement to gather the additional evidence that led to us filing these additional charges,” Aubele added.
Renesmay, who authorities say had special needs, was reported missing Wednesday. State police notified the public around 4 a.m. Thursday Renesmay had been found.
According to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson, her body was found partially submerged in the Youghiogheny River near Smithton.
Shipley did not have an attorney listed in court documents.
Jack Troy is a TribLive reporter covering business and health care. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in January 2024 after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. He can be reached at
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