Miya Marcano

Funeral Services for Slain College Student Miya Marcano Scheduled

The wake will take place Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the memorial service will be held Thursday at 11 a.m

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Miya Marcano, the 19-year-old South Florida woman who disappeared and whose body was found in Orlando a week later, will be laid to rest this coming week.

The wake will take place Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the memorial service will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. Both will be at the Cooper City Church of God located at 9191 Stirling Road and the service will be live-streamed here.

The interment will take place at Bailey Memorial Gardens in North Lauderdale.

Marcano's aunt Semone Westmaas also confirmed the creation of the Miya Marcano Foundation saying, in part, that the foundation "has a mission to support, educate and provide resources to families of missing persons, while advocating for the protection of students and our most vulnerable population."

Authorities said Marcano vanished on the same day a maintenance man improperly used a master key fob to enter her apartment. Her family reported her missing after she missed a flight home to South Florida on Sept. 24.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina previously said Armando Caballero, a maintenance worker at the apartment complex where Marcano lived and worked, is considered the "prime suspect." Caballero, 27, apparently killed himself; his body was found three days after Marcano was last seen.

Marcano had repeatedly “rebuffed” romantic advances by Caballero. Detectives spoke to Caballero after the Valencia College student was reported missing, but had no evidence to detain him at that time. They obtained a warrant for his arrest after learning he had entered her apartment before she disappeared. His body was then found inside a garage.

The FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement were among the hundreds of authorities searching for Marcano.

Sunday, the annual Carnival event honored Miya's life. The teen once held the title of the event's Queen.


If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources. 

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