As officials from Southfield Police Department continue to investigate the homicide of aspiring Tennessee State University student Mia Kanu, authorities believe her death was “not random” and dubbed the person responsible a “monster,” a law enforcement source exclusively told CrimeSpace.

The law enforcement source, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, told CrimeSpace that police are pursuing all avenues to investigate the mysterious death of aspiring Tennessee State University student Mia Kuna.

“This wasn’t random,” the source close to the investigation told CrimeSpace. “Someone had the specific intent to harm Mia by any means necessary. The nature of this investigation has shifted from an enigmatic death to an outright homicide.”

According to the source, police spoke with a number of individuals regarding the 23-year-old student’s death.

“Information we received from witnesses, friends and family enabled us to act swiftly and certainly towards bringing justice for Mia’s family,” the source told CrimeSpace. “It’s evident someone out there knows more than they’ve told us. We are not ruling any theories or possibilities out.”

The source concluded: “To leave a young woman discarded by the side of the highway as if she were no more than roadkill is unconscionable. The kind of individual capable of such an act can only be described as a monster.”

CrimeSpace has been following the investigation from its inception. As CrimeSpace previously reported, after returning home to Michigan, Kanu began socializing with new friends, according to her mother, Bianca Vanmeter.

Vanmeter noted that one of these friends, who had been staying at their house, had made her feel uncomfortable. She had consequently asked Kanu to provide the girl’s vehicle registration.

On June 3rd, at approximately 4:32 a.m., officers from the Southfield Police Department responded to an emergency call regarding an unresponsive adult female found on the road in front of the Coach House Apartments on Providence Drive, which is situated around 15 miles northwest of Detroit. The female was later identified as Kanu. She was transported to Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield.

Medical personnel at the hospital found that Kanu had suffered severe head trauma. She was admitted to the intensive care unit and put on life support. Kanu remained hospitalized for two days before being declared dead on June 5. She was kept on life support for an additional three days due to being an organ donor. Hospital staff honored Kanu with a “walk of life” ceremony as she was taken to the operating room.

According to Kanu’s mother, Bianca Vanmeter, her daughter’s organs were donated. “There was no brain activity. Her liver went to a baby, her kidneys went to a recipient and her tissues and muscles were donated to the Gift of Life,” Vanmeter told the Detroit Free Press.

Vanmeter shared that she had seen her daughter before Kanu went to work at the Green Lantern restaurant in Berkley on the morning of June 2. After her shift, Kanu was picked up by a female friend, who was staying at Vanmeter’s house along with her daughter. They subsequently attended a house party together.

Vanmeter indicated that the car her daughter’s friend used to pick her up was the same vehicle from which Kanu was either pushed or fell out of after the party. The police have stated that there were two other individuals in the car at the time. According to reports, the car did not stop, and none of the occupants called 911 for medical assistance.

Southfield Police obtained surveillance footage that showed Kanu being ejected from the car while it continued to drive.

Southfield Deputy Police Chief Jeff Jagielski stated that they located the two individuals who were in the car with Kanu and mentioned that both are cooperating with the investigation into her death. Jagielski also noted that an argument between the driver and another individual occurred in the parking lot of the apartment complex they left. He added that in cases of an untimely death of a healthy individual, they investigate as a homicide until evidence indicates otherwise. There was no evidence to suggest that Kanu was hit by another vehicle.

The authorities are currently waiting for the results of an autopsy to ascertain the exact cause of Kanu’s death.