Trust fund heir Rashid Young identified as victim of 2019 slaying, former romantic partner arrested

An heir to a $2 million trust fund disappeared nearly three years ago.

On Wednesday, authorities in Pennsylvania arrested his former romantic partner, who allegedly stabbed the victim to death, used his phone to pretend he was still alive and drained his allowance money.

The heir, Rashid Young, 22, was reported missing in December 2019 in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. For years, his family has pleaded for answers on his whereabouts.

They recently hired a private investigator, who requested Montgomery County detectives look into Young’s disappearance, the district attorney’s office said in a statement Wednesday.

Through an investigation that began two weeks ago, authorities learned that Young’s body was actually found weeks after he was killed in August 2019, according to the statement.

The body was found by a landscaper at the Awbury Arboretum in Philadelphia on Sept. 30, 2019, but was unidentified for years. Using dental records, the body was identified Friday as belonging to Young, the district attorney’s office said.

The investigation led to the arrest of Keshaun Sheffield, 20, of Philadelphia, who police said was in a romantic relationship with Young for two years when Young vanished, according to officials.

Their relationship came to light through cellphone records, help from a confidential informant and other means, prosecutors said.

Sheffield is accused of stabbing Young in his apartment in Pottstown on Aug. 19, 2019, according to the release.

Police were called to Young’s apartment at that time on a report of flooding and found the unit intentionally inundated with water, The apartment had “holes in walls, broken doors and trash strewn throughout,” authorities said. It is not clear what happened after police made the discovery.

From August to December 2019, Sheffield used Young’s social media accounts and phone to communicate with his family and make it appear that he was still alive, officials said.

He also made “numerous withdrawals” from Young’s $2 million trust fund before Young was declared missing, according to prosecutors. Young received an $800 allowance every two weeks from the fund, NBC Philadelphia reported, citing a criminal affidavit and investigators.

Bank records showed that between July 2019 and December 2019, someone made 15 fund transfers from Young’s bank account to an account owned by Sheffield, the affidavit stated.

The account was frozen in December 2019.

The Montgomery County investigation found that Sheffield transported Young’s body in a Pottstown Borough Recycling container to a house in Philadelphia, where Sheffield lived with his mother, the district attorney’s office said.

With the assistance of another person, Sheffield dug a hole at Awbury Arboretum and buried his body there, where it was found by a landscaper who called police, prosecutors said.

The investigation also included an admission from another former lover of Sheffield, who allegedly confessed to helping Sheffield bury Young’s body, NBC Philadelphia reported. That person’s name has not been released.

Sheffield was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, theft by unlawful taking/disposition, receiving stolen property, possessing an instrument of crime and access device fraud.

He was denied bail and his preliminary hearing is set for June 9.

A message was left with the office of Sheffield’s attorney seeking comment.

“Since August 2019, a family has been searching for information about their missing son. Today, we shared with them the tragic details of his death and will be able to return his remains to them for a proper burial, ”said District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said in a statement.

“This is yet another case of relationship violence that turned into a murder.”