Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Double Murder of Ex-Girlfriend and Her Daughter

True Crime Today | A True Crime Podcast

A Washington man has admitted to killing his ex-girlfriend and her 7-year-old daughter just days after being released on bond for domestic violence charges. Kirkland Warren, 28, pleaded guilty to the murders of Meshay Melendez, 27, and her daughter, Layla Stewart after their bodies were found dumped down an embankment in rural Washougal, according to court records.
Warren, who was free on bond at the time, had previously been ordered to have no contact with Melendez. He had also entered an Alford plea to first-degree child molestation related to a sexual assault on Layla Stewart. An Alford plea allows the defendant to maintain innocence while accepting punishment.
The investigation began on March 18, 2023, after Vancouver police responded to a welfare check at the Springfield Meadows apartments. Family members had not heard from Melendez or Layla for several days, and their dog was found alone in the apartment, barking.
Investigators discovered that on March 11, Melendez, Layla, and Warren had stayed at an acquaintance’s home. Layla stayed behind while Melendez and Warren went out. When Warren returned around 8 a.m., the acquaintance noticed Melendez unconscious in the passenger seat of his vehicle. Warren then went inside, retrieved Layla, and drove off with her.
On March 19, Melendez’s mother found her daughter’s 2000 Chrysler 200, leading to Warren’s arrest. He was charged with tampering with a witness, violating domestic violence orders, assault, drive-by shooting, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
A search of the Dodge Charger, the vehicle Melendez and Layla were last seen leaving in with Warren, uncovered blood evidence in both the front and back seats, .22 caliber shell casings, children’s clothing matching what Layla was believed to be wearing on March 12, and a purse containing Melendez’s ID, according to police.
On March 22, a passerby reported seeing what seemed to be two “life-sized mannequins” off a roadway down an embankment in thick brush in Washougal. Deputies responded and found the victims, who had been shot in the head. Court documents revealed that Layla was found naked from the waist down, and DNA swabs matched Warren’s DNA.
In court documents, prosecutors detailed Warren’s attempts to cover his tracks. He reportedly texted a friend about getting rid of a gun and searched online for ways to clean blood from a car and “how to beat murder.” Investigators also revealed that Warren had transferred $4,200 from Melendez’s account to his phone and discussed disposing of her car.
At the time of the murders, Warren was out on bond for a 2017 first-degree murder charge in Arkansas, where a man was also shot in the head and left in a ditch. He had also been arrested in December 2022 for assaulting Melendez and firing into her apartment but was released four days before her and Layla’s disappearance.
Warren now faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole when he is sentenced on October 8. His sentence in Washington will run concurrently with his Arkansas murder charge.
In a statement, YWCA Clark County CEO Brittini Lasseigne honored Melendez and Layla, expressing frustration over the system's failure to prevent the tragedy. "Deadly violence is not happening to others, it is happening to us," Lasseigne wrote. "We must use our collective voices to make lasting change."
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