katelyn aikens missing

Unfortunately theres lots of ground to cover Right now, were keeping a lot of evidence close to our vest and well keep investigating [until we find out who did this].. Episode Summary. Lisa replied thanking him and asking about traffic. As far as the seized technology goes, its less about what they did find and more about what they couldnt find. Privacy Policy. The family says that when her mom and step dad split up, their relationship actually improved and became much stronger, now that he was no longer her disciplinarian. Missing in Massachusetts: The Case of Neo Maximus AKA Charlie Allen Jr. At 7.15pm that evening, Lisa receivedanother text message from Katelin: "I'm staying with a friend. His phone was nowhere near the airport or the mall. They were talking about her cosmetology school, her high school diploma. SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. -- Police in central Virginia say a missing teen's luggage was found ditched along a road days after she went missing on her way to the airport. A search warrant has been unsealed in the investigation into Katelyn Markham's death in 2011 and the recent arrest of her then fianc, John Carter. Neither Tammy or Angela showed up to their classes and were last seen hitchhiking in the city. The first big break in the case came on Monday when authorities discovered Akens' luggage discarded in a drainage ditch in Spotsylvania County near the Fredericksburg city limit. tons of circumstantial evidence, prosecutor do your job. I post to spread awareness and state my thoughts/theories. February 02, 2021 Kaitlin Akens, 19, was supposed to catch a flight from Virginia to Arizona. She wasn't at the airport or the mall at that time. They need answers and will continue to search for her. and our internal medicine tullahoma, tn. But when police looked at the location records for James' phone, they discovered that his phone pinged close to his home when he sent Lisa the text message to say he had dropped Katelin off. None of his testimony is corroborated. Sullivan's thoughts often drift back to Dec. 5, 2015, when her daughter, Katelin Akens, disappeared at age 19. You know, she was just there; like, she wasnt there, obviously, because she was in Arizona. 7th 2015 - Katelins suitcase was found in a ditch on an interstate outside Fredericksburg, Virginia - a few miles from James house. However, authorities have confirmed that Katelin Akens stepfather is not a person of interest or a suspect in her disappearance. Inside the suitcase was Katelins wallet, her cash, her debit cards, and her plane ticket. James stuck to his story that he dropped her off at the mall. https://www.facebook.com/HelpFindKatelinAkens/, https://www.spreaker.com/show/lost-souls-of-america, https://charleyproject.org/case/katelin-michelle-akens, https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/katelin-michelle-akens, https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/update-katelin-akens/, Murdered in California- The Case of the Doodler Killer, Murdered in Kansas: The Case of Alonzo Brooks, Missing in Minnesota: The Case of Brandon Swanson, Murdered in DC: The Case of the Freeway Phantom, Unsolved in California: The Case of the Keddie Cabin Murders. Luggage belonging to Katelin Akens, a 19-year-old woman who disappeared en route to a Virginia airport, has been found in a Spotsylvania County drainage ditch. Katelin Akens was supposed to board a flight to get back home, but she never even made it to the airport. Her death has officially been ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner. After spending time with her folks, she had a flight back to Arizona on December 5, 2015. Also the phone was pinged near James house at the time of this text. Akens mother, Lisa Sullivan, spoke to the news outlet about her daughters mysterious disappearance. When Kaitlin announced to her family just how in love she and Amber were, the family was more than supportive. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Battery dying so won't be able to text for a bit.". However, authorities have confirmed that Katelin Akens' stepfather is not a person of interest or a suspect in her disappearance. We dont have an easy suspect to go to, Pearce says. Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office investigators say surveillance cameras corroborate Katelin Akens' stepfather's account of events surrounding the disappearance of the teen.Akens vanished after her . I think police should subpoena James phone or something in regards to him. Her mother had dropped her off at Branton's home, and he said he'd drive her to Washington-Reagan National Airport, 80 miles north, for a flight home to her . Akens. Lisa wasn't sure she would even know how to get the metro. "It sounds as if there may be yet another serial killer in Spotsylvania County. She was the reason why I was able to put up a Pack n Play because I had no idea what I was doing. Kaitlin would be 25 years old today. Vanished While Traveling To #Arizona 540-507-7200 pic.twitter.com/qdTL7dCvmm, ARC (@AnonRoughCoitus) December 8, 2015, Virginia: Missing: KATELIN AKENS (VA): KATELIN AKENS, Age Now: 19, Missing: 12/05/2015. Captain Jeff Pearce of the Spotsylvania County Sheriffs Office tells PEOPLE theres no connection between the two cases, emphasizing, Its just an unfortunate coincidence. But the dual mysteries have left the community shaken, particularly after Akens luggage was found in a drainage ditch near Fredericksburg on Monday. The search for Katelin Akens has produced some new leads, but authorities in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, are not clarifying on what those leads are. After Lisa and James separated,it took a while for things to settle between them allbut they did and everything seemed fine. However, authorities have confirmed through multiple reports that the disappearance of Katelin Akens and the murder of Heather Ciccone are in no way connected to one another. Height and Weight 5'4, 122 pounds. Since Akens disappearance, her mother and family release balloons into the air to recognize special occasions. Stephen Tschida (@ABC7Stephen) December 9, 2015, Surveillance cameras corroborate Katelin Akens stepfathers account of events before she went missing: https://t.co/7NZZvfXgIU, NewsChannel 8 (@NewsChannel8) December 9, 2015. What you are about to read is not a news broadcast. #Missing 19y/o KATELIN AKENS, 54 140lbs #Spotsylvania #Virginia. Katelin Akens was supposed to board a flight on Saturday, Dec 5, from Virginia to Arizona,. An official website of the United States government. It didnt sound like her. navigation search. And I just called her and Im like, look Katelyn, I don't know what Im doing and Im getting frustrated and I need somebody to tell me how to do this. As police began to investigate the hours leading up to her disappearance, they interviewed the friends she had stayed with the night before who confessed that they did actually all sleep together- the night had gotten carried away, and they all agreed it was something that shouldnt happen again. Police found Katelin'swallet, identification and phone chargerinside the bag. A new billboard has gone up this spring near Kaitlins hometown seeking information on her disappearance. Her luggage was found five miles from where Heather's body was found. Investigators are still trying to determine if she made it to the metro or to the airport. Image Credit: Help find Katelin Akens/Facebook. "It sounds as if there may be yet another serial killer in Spotsylvania County," one local posted on Facebook Tuesday. Her bodywas found slumped over the steering wheel of a vehicle parked outside a Spotsylvania residence. However, its not known if she is actually the person to send the text, or if someone else sent it from her phone. And that person was her stepfather James. Katelin did in fact cheat on Amber the night before. She lived with her fianc, Amber. She died as a result of a gunshot wound to he head. Race White. And systems put in. Katelin had an encrypted text app on her phone that has yet to be recovered. Not one concerned call or text. Lisa also hopes it will pull on James heartstrings to come forward and share what he knows. Lisa told police that it would have been unusual for Katelin to askto be dropped off at the mall as it was not a mall shewent to and the last time Katelin was on a metro was when she was six or seven years old. 00:01:53. View the profiles of people named Kaitlyn Aikens. Lisa reported Katelin missing. Lisa doesnt seem to be granting James quite as much grace these days, and she says he still will not speak to her or to any of the investigators. She was due to start the new cosmetology course on the Monday, the 7th of December. The investigation into her disappearance will make you question everything . In fact, the last time she was seen alive was at his home. So getting up there quickly. "Of course it's suspicious - the young lady was supposed to be on a plane back home to Arizona and we found her luggage in a drainage ditch in the middle of Spotsylvania County, nearly 50 miles from the airport," Pearce told Crimesider. If it wasnt the stepdad, he would have given police the password to his phone, taken a polygraph and done everything possible to show he was innocent. The unsolved disappearance of a Virginia teenager four years ago has left family members desperate for answers and investigators puzzled as a key witness who may be able to help refuses to cooperate, WTTG-TV reports. We are not going to turn down any information.. Shes currently classified as an endangered missing person, which indicates that police dont think she left on her own free will either, and we can assume that they probably have more evidence than were privy to. Stepfather is not a suspect in disappearance of 19 year old Katelin Akens. He also agreed to a polygraph, then denied on the day off. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. And they also could not determine that it was Katelin herself that sent the text messages. This time, the texts were worrying; they said that she was staying with a friend and needed some alone time. She didnt feel there was any way at all Kaitlin would be in a strange new place and then try to navigate an unfamiliar train system with her suitcase. Her wallet, ID and glasses were found inside, but her clothes were missing. Katelins biological father moved out of state when she was just a toddler, and when Katelin was 7 years old, Lisa remarried to a man named James Branton. Image Credit: Help find Katelin Akens/Facebook. But there was one big question when it came to James. 00:02:43. You know, shes my sister but she is missing. I dont know. In 2021, Lisa added that finding Katelins body would provide her with some closure. Pearce said no other items were found with the suitcase. According to my sources, Amber didnt feel there were any signs of trouble in the relationship at all before Katelin left for Virgina, so she felt pretty blindsided by the texts. She lived with her fianc, Amber. Welcome back, everyone. Though those circumstances explain why she might have sounded like she was feeling out of sorts, it really didnt seem to fit the evidence at hand beyond the text messages. Eventually this theory was ruled out entirely, and two men have since been convicted of first degree murder in Heathers death. James was happy to oblige but he had to work in Fredericksburg at 3pm, so they agreed that Katelin would arrive at the airport a little bit early and just hang out until her flight. All FBI Email Updates I . They confirmed with the airport that Katelin had never in fact made it on the plane, and they attempted to report her as a missing person to the police. On Sunday, 21-year-old Heather Ciccone was found dead in a car parked in a strangers driveway. Detective Marshall feels he may simply be covering up for his step daughter- maybe he helped her. Lisa was confused due to texts from Katelins phone to her. White. She had been there since the 1st of December and was visiting her mother Lisa Sullivan and her sister Gabriela. In fact, he didnt go back to work anywhere at all for more than 6 months after Katelins disappearance. aters001 po box 1280 oaks, pa 19458; is dumpster diving illegal in el paso texas; office of personnel management login She wanted ultrasound pictures. Regardless, they continue their search to this day, making every effort to spread awareness and find her. If she is out there, is she going to be the same Katelin we know? According to the police, the case remains open, and any leads that come through would be investigated thoroughly. They watch and watch and theres no sign that Katelin is cooling off somewhere locally. ", Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office - Roger L. Harris Sheriff, after police sought him out for questioning. But she was really there, like, virtually. Also near James house. This month to honor Pride, we will be covering all LGBTQIA+ cases. The contents of luggage gave us some leads that were following actively as we speak, he says, adding that it didnt show any signs of being tampered with. What they didnt need his help to uncover were those cell phone tower pings, and they indicated that James phone also never pinged anywhere near the airport, and seemed to be at his home all day. Were not giving up.. Pearce said she had been in the area visiting her mother, who lives in neighboring Caroline County, and her stepfather in Spotsylvania. Police spoke to James and searched his house and car but they didn't find anything that could assistwith their investigation into Katelin's disappearance. Her flight was scheduled for 5:00pm. You need ALL 3 of those things to start new elsewhere. When Lisa tried calling Katelin, it went straight to voicemail, and two days later, her belongings were located. Lisa left shortly afterwards. James told her that Katelin had wanted to kill some time at the mall, and shed planned to just take the metro herself to the airport. Dec 11, 2015. But her family don't believe that as they saw her the morning of the 5th of December and she was fine. Due to her being raised out of state, I have, Posted by Jule Gallion on Wednesday, December 9, 2015. His phone is encrypted and he will not give up the passcode. And to add to the uneasy feeling this was giving her family, Lisa says that the text messages simply werent sent in Katelins style of texting. At this point, James was requested to participate in a polygraph test just to conclusively rule him out and move on to other options. He told her he dropped Katelin off and she thanked up. WUSA 9 News reports that evidence has been obtained from luggage belonging to the woman, which was found abandoned in a drainage ditch. Katelins sister Gabi had just had a baby, and so everyone was absolutely thrilled to have Katelin make the trip home for some newborn nephew snuggles with 2 week old baby Landon! Nineteen year old Katelin Akenswas inSpotsylvania County,Virginia, United States. Sullivan told WTTG-TV that her ex-husband, James Branton, appeared glad to see them. One constant in Katelins life was her best friend Amber Rios. Part of HuffPost Crime. Interviewer: When you told Katelin that you were pregnant, tell us about that. Immediately this gets Lisas intuition going and she knows something is wrong. She states James was excited to see them, Katelin told him about her cosmetology school/diploma. When a teenager with her whole life ahead of her suddenly vanished, the authorities were stumped by the lack of solid evidence. The Huffington Post reports that locals in the area are on edge, with some people commenting that there may be a serial killer in the area, preying on young pretty women. Due to the fact that Katelin told him about her diploma and cosmetology school, I think he used this to his advantage. December 5 will be six years. Katelyn's cause of death is currently unclear. Investigation Discoverys Disappeared: Flight Risk focuses on the young womans activities and whereabouts leading to her disappearance. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Disappeared: Flight Risk focuses on the young womans activities and whereabouts leading to her disappearance. Later that day, Amber reached out to Lisa. But it wasthe body of 21 year old Heather Ciccone. I agree! Lisa doesnt believe this was Katelin, claiming she never double texts. Rather than mail it to her, they all decided it was the perfect time for a visit. I mean only respect to Katelins loved ones. Katelin never made it on that flight and she has never been seen since. Given that James was the last person to see Katelin alive, he became the investigators next stop. Her nose and navel are pierced and the right side of her lower lip is pierced. Lisa wasn't sure she would even know how to get the metro. The discovery was made one day after another young woman turned up dead, heightening concerns for Akens' safety. If Katelins phone never went to the airport or the mall, if those texts werent her, that leaves one explanation- foul play. Katelins Facebook also messaged a friend, in the message it stated how she didnt want to be in Virginia nor did she want to be in Arizona. Katelin is described as5 feet, 4 inches tall and 122 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes. They also interviewed those closest to her. The first thing to rule out in a missing persons investigation is the idea that theyre missing of their own free will. For example, the contents of the suitcase are strange things to take if you were disappearing, and her family also insists she had never run away before and they cant fathom that she would do that now. March 21st, 4:17 AM EDT. Carter was the last known person to see Katelyn . She has gauge earrings in her . A text was reportedly sent from her phone after she was dropped off, indicating that she was at the airport to board her flight. Markham was a 21-year-old art student who lived in Fairfield, Ohio, and also worked two jobs in addition to her studies. Yes, theyre unusual due to her disappearance. In 2014, just after her 18th birthday, Katelin moved to Arizona to live with her best friend who had become her fiance. Due to his phone being encrypted, I believe hes well educated with technology, especially phones. When Katelin Akens was last seen, she was being dropped off by her stepfather at a Metro station, where she was supposed to travel to the airport to catch a flight to Arizona. However Lisa is more concerned with the property James owns that police didnt search, a fact that most sources leave out but Lisa clears up in that interview with Ashley Flowers. Katelin's phone was missing so police looked at the location records anddiscovered that when she sent Lisa the text message saying that she was at the airport, her phone pinged at a location more than 30 miles from that Springfield Metro stop. Amber had said a Facebook message was sent from Katelins account saying she cant come back because she cheated on her. Im not coming back today, Ill let you know when I get a new flight. In a separate text, she immediately texts, I wont be able to text for a bit. (Unsure if they ever disclosed where her phone pinged at this time. And this is, And Then They Were Gone. Her flight was scheduled for 5:00pm. James was a complete techie, and everything that he had including his cell phone was built and coded by him. He didn't work for six months after Katelin's disappearance and after that six month period, he got a new job. This young lady, Katelin Akens is a cousin of mine. This hobby had grown to a passion and Katelin had made a plan to go to cosmetology school. Carter reported he last saw Katelyn around 11:00 p.m. the night of August 13 and that he received a text from her later on, at 1:00 a.m. "We just want to ensure she's okay," Pearce said. No evidence was recovered that indicated anything suspicious had occurred on his property at all. By Joey Fox, May 01 2023 5:28 pm. News briefs: the statehouse's reopening, Aikens' voter registration, Mastrangelo's missing votes. A few minutes after she received a text from James, Lisareceived a text message from Katelin's phone at 2pm: "I'm at the airport. Lisa immediately got the sense that her daughter was being considered a runaway- but while she was in the middle of filling out her report a phone call came in about a mysterious find in a drainage ditch by a road crew worker. She wouldve been starting cosmetology school soon. She says that James owns a second home and piece of land which his mother lives in, and Detective Marshall has been unable to obtain a search warrant because James doesnt reside there and its legally considered a rental property with a tenant. So what happened when James dropped her off at the mall? Luggage belonging to Katelin Akens, a 19-year-old woman who disappeared en route to a Virginia airport, has been found in a Spotsylvania County drainage ditch. Photo: Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office; Facebook, 35-Year-Old Man Arrested After Body of Missing Woman, 25, Found in Oregon, Missing Pa. Woman, 76, Found Dead Along Trail After Going for a Walk Near Her Home, Suspect Arrested, An Ohio Art Student Mysteriously Vanished 12 Years Ago. Katelin moved to Arizona in 2014 to live with her girlfriend Amber Rios. They combed through hours of this footage from multiple cameras, and there were no sightings of Katelin, James, or James car. As far as Lisa was aware, Katelin was getting the metro to the airport to get that 5.40pm flight home. She has blonde hair, blue eyes and multiple tattoos. Neither of them knew what was going on and none of it made sense. In another interview, Katelins friend Kevin alleges that she confided in him the next morning that she had felt pressured or maybe even forced to join the couple, and that she felt immense guilt over that decision. If you know anything about this missing womans disappearance, you are encouraged to call the Spotsylvania County Sheriffs Office. They deserve justice. But rumors abound: Ciccones mother, Stacy, told Dateline that her daughter was being stalked by another girl. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Join Facebook to connect with Kaitlyn Aikens and others you may know. I won't be able to text for a bit.". I think all texts were made by him from Katelins phone. Growing up, Katelin Michelle Akens lived in Caroline County, Virginia, with her mother, Lisa Sullivan. Just eight minutes later, Sullivan reportedly got a text message from Akens phone that read, Im at the airport. Um, I dont really sugarcoat it. The luggage was found around 50 miles from the airport but just a few miles from Katelin's hometown. Smith said one thing is certain - whoever dumped her body in Indiana knew the area quite well. He replied that the traffic was not too bad. Katelin Michelle Akens (born September 2, 1996) is an American woman who mysteriously disappeared on December 5, 2015, after being dropped off at her former stepfather's residence in Partlow, Virginia. As far as Lisa was aware, Katelin was getting the metro to the airport to get that 5.40pm flight home. Katelin was with a friend and her boyfriend. The police had to establish where Katelinwas last seen. 4 talking about this. Its totally possible that shed been communicating with people online, but if shed been communicating with anyone, no one knew then, and we may never know. She had been there since the 1st of December and was visiting her mother Lisa Sullivan and her sister Gabriela. She was supposed to have a bright future. / CBS News. The area has been home to at least one serial killer, including Richard Marc Evonitz, who was accused of killing three different girls in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. However, both cases have area residents on edge. However, I think all Facebook messages were made by Katelin. An investigation would later show that the text message wasnt sent from the airport, but instead hit towers near Interstate 95 in Stafford County, Virginia. Ruling out all connections to the Heather Ciccone case, the investigators went back to local field and aerial searches. He would not elaborate on the specific nature of those contents, citing an open investigation, but he did say that it gave him hope Akens would be found alive. In March 2021, a foundation for missing people placed a billboard regarding Katelins case on the route James took to work. I sent her the screenshots and she was like, oh my gosh. But it turns out that he didnt go to work that day. Protect yourself and those you love. Even more disturbing were the cell phone tower pings that the investigators looked at to determine the location of Katelins phone when she sent those text messages. The state of Virginia is no stranger to serial killer activity, in general, with such notorious names as the Briley Brothers, Timothy Wilson Spencer, and the elusive Colonial Parkway Killer on the list. Growing up, Kaitlin was described as nurturing, adoring little kids and loving to help others in any way she could. But I strongly believe she was not and is not a runaway. This leads investigators to believe the suitcase was thrown. I can't wait. Email Email. How did she react? A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The Sheriff . Family told CBS affiliate WTVR that she texted them to let them know she had made it to the airport, but she never boarded the flight and they haven't heard from her since. They gathered that Lisa had dropped her off at James' house but they could not confirmthat James dropped Katelin off at the mall. It was reported that James stopped cooperating with the investigators after a point. Furthermore, authorities have stated that . Lisa then left the house to go to work. said by the sheriffs office to have been. At that point, Lisas ex-husband, James Branton, agreed to drop Katelin off at the airport about 80 miles away. He wasn't Katelin's biological father but he helped to raise her. But James said she did notmention meeting up with anyone and she simply wanted to waste a bit of time at the mall before going to the airport. [1] Akens' former stepfather allegedly drove Akens to Reagan Washington National Airport to catch a flight back to her . So getting up there quickly. Despite his very odd behavior, due to the lack of physical evidence, investigators have been unable to label James an official suspect to this day. Guilty as sin! ", Sign up to get the latest true crime stories, new product releases and more, Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more .

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