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Editor’s note: Since the publication of this story, Miya Marcano’s body has been found.
Miya Marcano, 19, has been missing since this past Friday. She was last seen at the Orlando, Florida apartment where she lived and worked. News about Marcano began to circulate, four days after her disappearance. Four days too late. The media’s inability to move quickly on covering Marcano’s disappearance has further proven the fact that missing women of color do not receive adequate media coverage. Take the case of Gabby Petito, a young White woman who went missing while on a road trip with her fiance. News spread like wildfire across the globe, as viewers followed updates praying for her safe return. Unfortunately, Petito’s story ended in tragedy.
While Petito’s case highlights the domestic violence many women face in relationships, Marcano’s case highlights the danger that many women face for simply existing. The suspect, Armando Manuel Caballero, 27, a maintenance man who worked in her building had expressed interest in Marcano. The feelings were not mutual. Unfortunately, Caballero was found dead in his apartment Monday morning, an apparent suicide. Authorities note that Caballero used his maintenance fob to access Marcano’s apartment, and there was in fact blood and signs of struggle in her apartment. As of now, Marcano is still missing.
