Man who searched Google on ‘how to beat murder’ after killing ex-girlfriend and her 7-year-old daughter was out on bond

A Washington state man, Kirkland Warren, 28, has admitted to the brutal killings of his ex-girlfriend Meshay Melendez, 27, and her beloved 7-year-old daughter, Layla Stewart.

Warren pleaded guilty on Thursday and also entered an Alford plea to first-degree child molestation of Layla, maintaining his innocence while acknowledging the evidence against him.

The horrific murders occurred just days after Warren was released on bond for domestic violence charges, despite being ordered not to contact his ex.

The investigation began when Vancouver police were called for a welfare check at Melendez’s apartment on March 18, 2023. Family members hadn’t heard from her since March 11, and a friend reported that both Melendez and Layla were missing, although their dog was still in the apartment.

Authorities later learned that on March 11, Melendez, Layla, and Warren had stayed at an acquaintance’s home. Layla stayed back while Melendez and Warren went out. When Warren returned about 8 a.m., the acquaintance saw Melendez in the passenger seat of his vehicle “passed out.”

Warren went inside the residence, got Layla, put her in the vehicle and drove off, police said.

On March 19, police arrested Warren after Melendez’s car was found abandoned, and further evidence linked him to the murders. Investigators found blood evidence, .22 caliber shell casings and Melendez’s identification in Warren’s Dodge Charger.

A few days later, on March 22, a passerby discovered the bodies of Melendez and Layla dumped down an embankment in thick brush. Both had been shot in the head, and Layla was found partially undressed. DNA evidence connected Warren to the sexual assault of Layla.

In the days following the murders, Warren sent incriminating text messages to a friend asking about places to bury a gun and trying to get rid of Melendez’s car. He also transferred $4,200 from her account to his own and conducted Google searches related to covering up the crime, including “how to beat murder” and “killing the only witness.”

At the time of the murders, Warren was already out on bond for a separate first-degree murder charge in Arkansas, dating back to 2017, in which a man was also shot in the head and found in a ditch. Despite being arrested in December 2022 for assaulting Melendez and shooting into her apartment, Warren posted bail and was released four days before Melendez and Layla went missing.

Warren faces a mandatory life sentence without parole for the murders when sentenced on October 8. He has also agreed to plead guilty to the Arkansas murder, and his sentences will run concurrently.

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YWCA Clark County’s CEO, Brittini Lasseigne, who expressed frustration over Warren’s earlier release, condemned the system’s failure to prevent the deaths of Melendez and Layla, calling for reforms and increased efforts to address domestic violence.