3. You can't trace clothes. As for the evidence reportedly found in her luggage, authorities are not clarifying on what was found, nor are they sharing any information about the leads they are currently investigating. Neither Tammy or Angela showed up to their classes and were last seen hitchhiking in the city. 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. "It bothers everybody," Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office Captain Jeff Pearce told The . The FBI Richmond office stated Friday morning that . If these have been answered, please feel free to answer or correct me. 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. She lived with her fianc, Amber. But she never even made it to her flight. A Saturday. This young lady, Katelin Akens is a cousin of mine. Katelintold James about the new course that she was starting. She wasn't at the airport or the mall at that time. They gathered that Lisa had dropped her off at James' house but they could not confirmthat James dropped Katelin off at the mall. So police had to establish if she went to the airport and returned or never left the area in the first place. "You dont know what to think. 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. "It sounds as if there may be yet another serial killer in Spotsylvania County," one local posted on Facebook Tuesday. Katelin flew into Virginia to visit her family in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, for the birth of her nephew. Required fields are marked *. None of his testimony is corroborated. Subscribe to our email newsletter for news on the FBI, sent out every week. On the day 19-year-old went missing, Sullivan drove to her ex-husbands home so that he could bring Aken to the airport for her flight back to Arizona, where she lived. Police spoke to people she knew but nobody knew where she was and she wasn't staying with any of her friends in the area. You can't trace a phone with a new SIM card. News briefs: the statehouse's reopening, Aikens' voter registration, Mastrangelo's missing votes. Pearce said no other items were found with the suitcase. "The circumstances surrounding this case are suspicious enough to warrant our full investigative efforts, in attempting to locate Miss Akens," Spotsylvania County Sheriff Roger L. Harris said in a statement to WSUA News. She texted her mom that she made it to the airport and her phone was dying, so she would text later. Maybe hes keeping secrets for her. They need answers and will continue to search for her. No, he has nothing to do with us, Detective Rob Marshall told the television station in 2017. Katelin Akens' disappearance to get renewed attention - Fredericksburg.com Sometime after this, Amber texts Lisa saying how Katelin texted her about not coming back. They also interviewed those closest to her. 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. Katelins sister Gabi seems to think there is a strong possibility that James helped her meet up with someone shed been talking to online and that person turned out to be someone evil who hurt her. But I strongly believe she was not and is not a runaway. They all kept in friendly contact, Lisa eventually remarried again, and all the family relationships seemed to be going well. This subreddit is about unsolved mysteries. Lisa next heard from James at 1.52pm that day. 00:01:53. (According to online, James then sent a text to Lisa about how her dropped her off at the Springfield mall and Katelin was going to take a metro to the airport. Rather than mail it to her, they all decided it was the perfect time for a visit. Katelin Akens was supposed to board a flight on Saturday, Dec 5, from Virginia to Arizona,. Police say missing teen made it to mall - Fredericksburg.com What you are about to read is not a news broadcast. According to James, he dropped Katelin off at the Springfield mall with her intending to take the metro to the airport. David Lohr. The investigation into her disappearance will make you question everything . When a person goes missing, there's a special kind of pain in the not knowing. Not inside the suitcase were any of her phone, her clothes, or her high school diploma. No evidence was recovered that indicated anything suspicious had occurred on his property at all. 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. As of Tuesday, there is no indication Ciccone's death is connected to Akens' disappearance. She believed someone else used her phone to do so. She texted her mom that she made it to the airport, but never boarded flight. 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. By Joey Fox, May 01 2023 5:28 pm. James stuck to his story that he dropped her off at the mall. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Katelins phone had never been to the mall, to the metro, or to the airport. Image Credit: Help find Katelin Akens/Facebook. James had to work at 3:00pm, so he wouldve had to drop Katelin off at airport early. All Rights Reserved. But I think she had all intentions on going back that day. Yes, theyre unusual due to her disappearance. White. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. On February 7, 1977, Tammy Lynn Akers and her friend, Angela Mae Rader were dropped off at William Ruffner Junior High school in Roanoke, Virginia by one of the girls' relatives. According to the sheriff's office, a family member was taking Akens to the Ronald Reagan National Airport on Saturday when the teen asked to be dropped off at the Springfield Mall. I . March 4, 2022. Join Facebook to connect with Kaitlyn Aikens and others you may know. Sheriff's office: Person of interest identified in Katelyn - WLWT Markham was a 21-year-old art student who lived in Fairfield, Ohio, and also worked two jobs in addition to her studies. 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. KATELIN MICHELLE AKENS FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation Date of Birth 09/02/1996 (26) Age 19 years old. Nineteen year old Katelin Akens was in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, United States. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The missing items are clothes, high school diploma and phone. Spotsylvania County: Katelin Michelle Akens Missing, Heather - People 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. 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! Though her family doesnt think shed hide from them to avoid a breakup, the police arrange an intense stakeout just to be sure shes not hiding with any of her friends. Amber had said a Facebook message was sent from Katelins account saying she cant come back because she cheated on her. All FBI Email Updates. Cookie Notice Her former step-father, James Brandon was going to take her to the airport. Oh absolutely her ex stepfather knows exactly what happened to her and where she is. He also agreed to a polygraph, then denied on the day off. Female. And that person was her stepfather James. Murdered in Texas: The Case of Amber Hagerman, Missing in Texas: The Case of Patty Vaughn, Unidentified in Virginia: The Case of the Christmas Tree Lady, Missing in California: The Case of Khadijah Britton, Unidentified in Texas: The Case of the Galveston Doe, Seeds of Hope: The Closed Case of Mostly Harmless, Missing in Tennessee: The Case of Summer Wells, Missing in Pennsylvania: The Case of Kortne Stouffer, Welcome to the Lost Souls of America Podcast. Katelin Michelle Akens - The Charley Project The teen's wallet, identification, credit cards and plane ticket were reportedly among the items found in the luggage. MISSING: Katelin Akens | Crime Junkie Podcast Police believed that she never left theFredericksburg area. 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. Not one concerned call or text. Katelin moved to Arizona in 2014 to live with her girlfriend Amber Rios. Her wallet, ID and glasses were found inside, but her clothes were missing. But the two friends kept up constant communication which eventually evolved into something more. Her flight was scheduled for 5:00pm. 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. Some sources indicate that the discovery of the body was thought to perhaps BE the body of Katelin Akens, but in an interview by Ashley Flowers for Crime Junkie, Katelins mom Lisa clears up that rumor saying that Heather was found first- She actually knew her, they worked at the same company. She lived with her fianc, Amber. Due to her being raised out of state, I have, Posted by Jule Gallion on Wednesday, December 9, 2015. Lisa says that the distance didnt change their closeness as a family unit one bit- Kaitlin still called and texted multiple times a day, for big things but also small little conversations like how do I make pumpkin bread? Gabi says that they typically texted all day everyday. Sullivan told WTTG-TV that her ex-husband, James Branton, appeared glad to see them. She had been there since the 1st of December and was visiting her mother Lisa Sullivan and her sister Gabriela. She always, like, asked how I was doing or how the babys doing. So that meant, they had to focus on the person who was the last known person to seeKatelin. Spotsylvania County detectives have determined that . She spent most of the time holding her new nephew and enjoying some quality time with Lisa and Gabi. I'm Kona, Gallagher, and I made them flick. They called and called Katelin with no response at all. James stuck to his story that he dropped her off at the mall. Like Im going to come down to Virginia when hes born. She then proceeds to send another text that her battery is going to die. For reasons unclear, Akens never boarded her flight from Virginia to Arizona, where she was to attend cosmetology school. 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. I can't wait. I also want to know if where her luggage was found, if that area was searched for her body. Image Credit: Help find Katelin Akens/Facebook. He told her he dropped Katelin off and she thanked up. Dec. In fact, Katelin was so bright and hard working that she doubled up on her coursework and was able to graduate highschool at just 16 years old. She wanted to look around for a while instead of just waiting inside the airport. UPDATE: Katelin Akens | Crime Junkie Podcast 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. "Today, we are calling on Josh Aikens to provide evidence that official public records showing he lived in Pennsylvania and registered to vote as a Democrat there while in college are inaccurate, or he . A text was reportedly sent from her phone after she was dropped off, indicating that she was at the airport to board her flight. Dec 11, 2015. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. There are predators everywhere. Unsurprisingly, Noel was considered to be a suspect by authorities. Domestic violence speaks many languages, has many colors and lives in many different communities. Sullivan's thoughts often drift back to Dec. 5, 2015, when her daughter, Katelin Akens, disappeared at age 19. Katelin Akens was supposed to board a flight to get back home, but she never even made it to the airport. She was going to take the metro to the airport since there is a stop at Reagan.. He was a no call no show, and he actually never went back to work there again. So, if youre curious about an update in the case, weve got you covered. But it wasthe body of 21 year old Heather Ciccone. February 02, 2021 Lisas final text from Katelin read. His Adoptive Mother, Who Pleaded for His Safe Return, Was Just Charged, Calif. Police Captain Found Dead Days After Man Was Arrested in Connection with Husband's Death, Virginia Mom Charged with Murder After 4-Year-Old Eats 'Large Amount' of THC Gummies. So if she wasn't on the flight home, then where was she? She graduated from Caroline High School in 2011 and worked at the same local convenience store where her mother held a job. Lisa dropped Katelin off at James' house at 9.20am that morning. @WireImgId=11191138. Lisa was confused due to texts from Katelins phone to her. Anyone with information about the case is urged to call the Spotsylvania County Sheriffs Office at 540-582-7115. Katelin Akens - Chilling Crimes I'll let you know when I get a new flight. And they also could not determine that it was Katelin herself that sent the text messages. Were hoping and this has happened before that she simply decided that she wasnt going to go back [to Arizona] and made other arrangements, Pearce says. What happened to this missing woman, and are authorities close to finding her? Lisa reported Katelin missing. She was super excited. Katelin Akens Update: Evidence Found In Missing Woman's Luggage The Butler County Sheriff's Office said it has a person of interest in the Katelyn Markham homicide. Update: Missing Sterling Teen Located Safely: Police navigation search. 2015 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Authorities in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, are searching for answers after one young woman was found dead and another went missing last weekend. They were also able to determine that while all of Katelins loved ones were frantically calling her trying to find her on the day that she went missing, James never reached out to her again. ), 1:52pm- James texts Lisa saying he dropped Katelin off at the airport. According to the report, investigators would learn days later that Akens never got to the mall, despite the claim by Branton. 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. Her family says they wouldve noticed if something was wrong. "It sounds as if there may be yet another serial killer in Spotsylvania County. I would never pack cash in my luggage unless it was in excess of what I needed. The Free Lance-Star reported Ciccone died as a result of a gunshot wound to the head. She believes fervently that her ex-husband holds the key to finding Katelin. Kaitlyn Aikens Profiles | Facebook Pearce tells PEOPLE that the discovery of the luggage doesnt necessarily indicate foul play in the teens disappearance. Missing Children of Virginia" Katelin Akens, Tammy Lynn Akers - Reddit Her luggage was found five miles from where Heather's body was found. It's Katelin's. And what's inside may put a di. Please enter valid email address to continue. Pearce said the case is not connected to the murder of a young woman, Heather Ciccone, who was found shot dead in a car in Spotsylvania Sunday. I agree! All images are used with permission or licensed. Katelin never made it on that flight and she has never been seen since. Growing up, Katelin Michelle Akens lived in Caroline County, Virginia, with her mother, Lisa Sullivan. Katelin originally went back home to get her high school diploma. Lisa and James were married when Katelin was young. This was odd to Amber. As far as Lisa was aware, Katelin was getting the metro to the airport to get that 5.40pm flight home. Without his cooperation Detective Marshall was forced to execute a search warrant on James house being that it was Katelins last known location. 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. There were questions as to whether that may have prompted her to leave. To add to the mystery of James whereabouts on the day that Katelin disappeared, youll remember he told everyone that he had to drop Katelin off early because he had to work at 3pm. They havent had any recent fights, this was in character of Katelin and Katelins family stated she was excited to go back home to Amber. I'm not coming back today. I think she felt guilt and had to talk about it. Her first course was scheduled to begin December 7th, 2015, and Katelin needed one final piece of paperwork to make her acceptance official- her high school diploma, which happened to be at her moms house all the way back in Virginia. 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. Adding to the mystery was the location of the suitcase- Though it was more than 50 miles away from the airport, it was located within a few miles of Katelins hometown. I know they searched James car, but was it looked at for blood? 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. Lisa then left the house to go to work. Surveillance video corroborates his account of events. 1 Comment, "My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people. He said that he dropped her offafter 1pm and gave her $20 to get the metro. Springfield, Virginia 19 years old Dec. 5th 2015. Katelins phone had never left the Fredericksburg area. While Lisa was trying to talk herself down from panic, she received another alarming text from Amber Rios in Arizona. About two days later, Katelins suitcase with her money, credit cards, and the plane ticket was found in a drainage ditch in Spotsylvania County. For more information, please see our Lisa had dropped off Katelin at James home at around 8:30 AM on December 5. The fact that the missing woman's stepfather was last to see and talk to her has sparked some speculation on social media and crime case forums like Websleuths. That was missing from the details. Ruling out all connections to the Heather Ciccone case, the investigators went back to local field and aerial searches. Her Fianc Was Just Charged with Murder, Arizona Parents Hid Dead Body of 16-Year-Old Son After Claiming He Ran Away: Police, After 30 Years, Police ID Calif. Woman Who Was Stabbed to Death, but Her Daughters Remain Missing, Mysterious 'Lady in the Fridge' Murder Victim Identified After 27 Years, Pa. 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Pearce said police are investigating the case as a missing person under suspicious circumstances, but he said they haven't ruled out that she may have disappeared either by her own accord or for "any number of other reasons.". Kaitlin Akens was last seen in Springfield Virginia on December 5th, 2015. Investigation Discoverys Disappeared: Flight Risk focuses on the young womans activities and whereabouts leading to her disappearance. Within days of Akens missing her flight, road crews reportedly came upon her luggage in a ditch several miles from Brantons residence. Episode Summary. Which is why her diploma was missing along with clothes, to throw everyone off or make it look like shes a runaway. The flight was not until 5 p.m., and at 1:52 p.m., Branton texted Sullivan that he had dropped Akens off. Dec 8, 2015, 05:13 PM EST | Updated Dec 17, 2015. 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. Nineteen year old Katelin Akenswas inSpotsylvania County,Virginia, United States. James was a complete techie, and everything that he had including his cell phone was built and coded by him. The suspicious circumstances and timeline of the two cases have led some people to speculate that they could be related. Boy, 10, Vanished in 2016. 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. 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. As far as the seized technology goes, its less about what they did find and more about what they couldnt find. James told Lisa that Katelin wanted to be dropped off at the mall, the Springfield Mall, as she would be early. Her suitcase was then found 45 miles away . by Chilling Crimes James told the detectives that he feared he was being looked at as a suspect and he ceased all cooperation with the investigation from that moment forward. Lost it all because someone thinks they have the rigth to act out their disgusting fantasizes. From there, the 19-year-old was expected to take the Metro to Reagan National Airport and catch a flight back to her home in Arizona, Capt. 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. After Lisa and James separated,it took a while for things to settle between them allbut they did and everything seemed fine. It contained her phone charger, glasses, wallet/cash, credit/debt cards, and her plane ticket. Case: Katelin was supposed to fly back to her home in Arizona. Her death has officially been ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner. internal medicine tullahoma, tn. Also did they ever use thermal cameras over surrounding wooded areas or watery areas. 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. 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. Since Akens disappearance, her mother and family release balloons into the air to recognize special occasions. They were talking about it, sitting on the couch.. "It's scary," Akens' mother, Lisa Sullivan, told WRIC News. The authorities later learned from James that he dropped Katelin at the Springfield Town Center in Virginia from where Katelin was going to take a metro to the airport. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Reluctantly, sleepless and scared, Lisa carried on searching for her daughter on her own for the weekend and returned to the police station first thing Monday morning. 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. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. She reportedly planned to take the Franconia-Springfield metro from the mall to the airport. Due to the condition of the luggage, the wheel was broken and the bag was scuffed, police believed that it may have been thrown out of a moving car. Immediately this gets Lisas intuition going and she knows something is wrong. No clothes were found and her diploma was missing. 00:02:43. unusual and worrying text message from Akens phone: Im staying with a friend and I need some time alone, the messages read, according to the report. Her bodywas found slumped over the steering wheel of a vehicle parked outside a Spotsylvania residence. He said that he dropped her outside the JCPenney. In fact, the last time she was seen alive was at his home. There was also a strange Facebook message that Akens account sent a friend, indicating she didnt want to be in either Virginia or Arizona. Part of HuffPost Crime. December 9, 2015 / 5:31 PM Amber had also received a text message from Katelin that morning, at 11.56am, which said: "Something came up. 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. Puzzling Text Messages: What Happened to Katelin Akens? Would be interesting to know if cameras at airport were searched? Fortunately theres a lot of leads, says Pearce. 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. She asked her ex husband, James Branton, if he could bring her instead. Katelin stated to this friend she felt remorseful and awful about the entire thing. However, Pearce says, Akens never arrived at her destination. The disappearance of 21-year-old student, Katelyn Markham 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. Missing in Virginia: The Case of Katelin Akens