Baleigh Bagshaw had returned from school to her home in Salt Lake City, Utah, when she was attacked on Monday afternoon. Her mother heard part of the assault before the line went silent.
The mother alerted a neighbor, who went round to check on Baleigh before alerting police, who found her dead at just after 3pm.
Sexual predator, Shaun French, 24, [left, photo] has been named as a person of interest in the teenager’s death, stemming from an unlawful sexual encounter he is accused of having with her.
French, who is now on the run, used to live in the same house as Baleigh but was not living with there at the time of her death.
Baleigh always phoned her mother when she got home from West High school, Deseret News reported.
She was meant to be working at Leatherby’s Family Creamery, an ice-cream shop, but her mother phoned to say she could not come in due to a ‘family emergency’.
Co-worker Gwendolyn Robinson described the teenager as ‘very sweet’, adding: ‘She worked very hard. She was a good girl.
‘I expect her to be walking into work still. It’s not computing.’
Salt Lake Police Sgt. Brandon Shearer said: ‘While she was on the phone with her mother, she was brutally attacked while inside of her home.
‘Her mother heard the attack going on and then the phone went dead. At that time, the mother called a neighbor to go check on Baleigh.
‘I can’t even guess what the mother would be going through right now. Our hearts and thoughts are with her.’
Baleigh Bagshaw [photo, right], enjoyed building props and sets at West High’s theater, where she was remembered by friends as ‘very sweet’.
Authorities called it a ‘very violent attack’ but police have not yet released a cause of death.
Baleigh enjoyed building props and sets at West High’s theater.
Friend Talia Zamir, 15, said: ‘She was incredibly smart and talented and she always got along with people around her. She was really friendly and nice.
‘And that’s what makes everything so heartbreaking, honestly.’
Sister-in-law Nichole Newman Cannon wrote: ‘I will always remember the funny jokes at the times I needed my head lifted up.
‘You will be greatly missed by your siblings. Love and miss you!’
French was described as ‘armed and dangerous’ and is being hunted on three counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

Shaun French  used to live in the same house as Baleigh and her family, but  he was not living there at the time of the teen’s death, police said

French is thought to be driving a camouflage-painted Daihatsu SUV with a Wyoming license plate number 19-13974

His Facebook page says he works at Intermountain Plantings Inc. and attended high school in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
He is thought to be driving a camouflage-painted Daihatsu SUV with a Wyoming license plate number 19-13974 along the Interstate 80 towards Cleveland, Ohio.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds Baleigh’s funeral expenses. The total is currently approaching $9,000.