The Disappearance and Death of Kayla Sobczak

 

Kayla Sobczak was only 18 years-old when she was found deceased under suspicious circumstances on March 9th, 2025. The teen's family had reported her missing months earlier, during December 2024. Reports state that Kayla was last seen alive in downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The last confirmed sighting of Kayla prior to her disappearance occurred on December 17th, 2024. She was reportedly in the area of 60th Street and 12th Avenue. Around 11:00 PM that evening, Kayla was seen getting into a charcoal grey sedan near the 6000 block of 12th. The car was driven by an unknown individual. Kayla never returned home, nor did she ever contact her loved ones again. Her family members reported her missing on December 23rd, 2024. 

After Kayla's missing persons' case was opened, the Kenosha Police Department reported that she was known to frequent Racine, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois, and Waukegan, Illinois. The police department also reported that Kayla had a history of substance abuse and sex work. However, they declined to comment on whether they felt these things played a role in Kayla's disappearance. 

Months passed without any sign of Kayla. Then, on March 9th, 2025, a body was found in a break wall within Lake Michigan at Eichelman Park. Days later, it was confirmed that the body was that of Kayla Sobczak. When the news broke about her body being found, police stated that they were still investigating a cause and manner of death. This information remains unknown to the public to this day; it's unknown if detectives have made any progress on this part of the investigation.

Due to the suspicious circumstances surrounding Kayla's case, many have speculated that foul play is responsible for her disappearance and death. However, this has yet to be confirmed by law enforcement. Police have not shared any details about the investigation since Kayla's body was found. 

Kayla's case remains opened. If you have any information that could help provide answers about her disappearance and death, please contact Kenosha authorities at 262-605-5280. 

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Sources:
Disappeared Blog
Fox 32
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Spectrum News 1
WISN

The Disappearance and Death of Monyiah Holman

 

Monyiah Holman was reported missing in Missouri during April 2024. Reports state that the then-26-year-old was last seen in Clayton. The circumstances surrounding Monyiah’s disappearance are unclear, but some sources list the date she went missing as April 15th, 2024.

There was very little reporting on Monyiah’s disappearance. Over a year passed without any news on the missing woman. Then, on October 3rd, 2025, it was reported that a utility worker had found the body of a woman in a vacant lot in the North Riverfront neighborhood of St. Louis. 

The press release states that authorities responded to the scene shortly after 10:00 AM. The report reads, in part, “Officers arrived on scene and located an adult female, who was not conscious and not breathing. EMS responded and pronounced the female dead on the scene.” At first, the identity of the deceased woman was not immediately clear. Days later, on October 8th, it was announced that the woman was identified as Monyiah Holman.

It appears that Monyiah had not been deceased for an extended period of time when her body was found. The wording in the press release indicates that first responders checked Monyiah’s body for consciousness and breathing; an act that would not have been necessary if her body had been in a state of decomposition. This makes it likely that Monyiah was alive for approximately 17 months after being reported missing. 

Monyiah’s whereabouts and actions between April 2024 and October 2025 are unknown by investigators. Monyiah’s cause and manner of death are also still unknown. As of mid-October 2025, it was reported that these circumstances were still being investigated. 

Police have appealed for anyone who might have seen or interacted with Monyiah between April 2024 and October 2025 to come forward. They have also appealed for anyone with information about her death to come forward. If you have information that could help solve this case, please contact SLMPD at 314-444-5371.

Sources:
Charley Project Fox 2 News KSDK St. Louis PD

The Suspicious Disappearance and Death of Meredith Rose Walker

 

Meredith Rose Walker was found deceased under suspicious circumstances on June 7th, 2025. The young woman's remains were stumbled upon in Emporia, Virginia near Market Drive and Commonwealth Boulevard. She was only 23 years-old at the time of her death.

The mystery began over a week prior to Meredith's body being found - in an area nearly 700 miles away. Meredith was actually a resident of Naples, Florida at the time of her death. On May 30th, 2025, she was released from a jail in Orlando. Surveillance cameras captured her that day; the image below shows Meredith in the clothes she was last seen wearing. This was the last known sighting of Meredith before her body was found several states away.

It is unknown how Meredith ended up in Virginia. Various reports state that her family believes she was headed north to visit family members after a recent death of a loved one. It is also believed that Meredith "may have intended to hitchhike due to a lack of transportation."

There are very few additional details available about Meredith's case. When it was first reported that her body had been found, her cause and manner of death were undetermined. It's unknown if those details have been determined now, as this information has not been released to the public. The FBI is involved in the investigation, and they have labeled Meredith's case as a "suspicious death". 

A public appeal has been made for anyone with information on Meredith's death to come forward. Additionally, authorities would like anyone who might have seen Meredith between May 30th and June 7th to contact the detectives. There is a monetary reward of at least $20,000 in exchange for information that could help solve the case.

If you have any information that could help solve the death of Meredith Rose Walker, please contact the FBI Richmond Field Office at (804) 261-1044 or submit a tip online.

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Sources:

ABC 8, (2)

CBS 19
FBI

WTVR

The Suspicious Death of Michelle Thomas

 

Michelle Thomas was found deceased alongside a highway in Wagner, Oklahoma during June 2005. The young woman was only 25 years old at the time of her death. The investigation into Michelle's death has been open and unsolved for over two decades. Many of the details, including how Michelle died, remain a mystery to this day. 

Michelle's stepfather, John Waggoner, worked as a police dispatcher for the Talihina Police Department at the time of Michelle's death. On June 23rd, 2005, Waggoner was driving along State Highway 1 when he noticed a passerby had stopped at a pull-off at the State Highway 82 junction. He decided to pull over himself to check the scene. It was then that Waggoner saw something unexpected about 10 feet away from the road: the badly decomposed body of his stepdaughter.

Michelle's body was ultimately identified via dental records. An investigation into Michelle's death was immediately launched, but a cause of death was unable to be determined. Detectives stated that this was due to her body having been left in the Oklahoma summer heat for nearly two days, which sped up decomposition. 

At first, Waggoner thought Michelle might have gotten hit by a car. However, investigators reportedly said that Michelle did not have any broken bones, nor did she have any other obvious signs of trauma. Additionally, a toxicology report ruled that Michelle did not have any drugs or alcohol in her system at the time of her death.

According to reports, Michelle was last seen alive during the early morning hours of June 22nd, 2005. She had been at her grandmother's home in Talihina but left the residence on foot around 2:00 AM. For unknown reasons, she left her car behind. Michelle was later seen walking in downtown Talihina around 4:30 AM - an area close to where her body was later found. 

Investigators questioned the people in Michelle's life but were unable to find a person of interest. Michelle's ex-boyfriend, with whom she had recently broken up, was cooperative with the investigation and is not believed to have been involved in her death. It is unknown if Michelle was seen with anyone else in the hours leading up to her passing. 

Michelle's family members have pointed out some other suspicious circumstances surrounding her death as well. Michelle always had long blonde hair, but when her body was found, her hair was short and black.  Additionally, Waggoner has questioned why or how there were seemingly no witnesses. The location along the highway where Michelle was found reportedly has a decent amount of traffic throughout the night. How is it possible that nobody saw anything until the evening of June 23rd?

That question, along with the many other questions in this case, remain unanswered. Michelle's death has been classified as a cold case by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. If you have any information that could help solve her case, please contact the OSBI at cold.case@osbi.ok.gov.

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Sources:
Oklahoma Cold Case Files
The Oklahoman
Sirens: A Southern True Crime Podcast

The Disappearance and Death of Amanda Grazewski

 

source: Boston 25 News

Amanda Grazewski vanished during March 2020. The then-23-year-old was last seen alive in Derry, New Hampshire. At the time of her disappearance, Amanda was staying at a residence on Birch Street. Reports state that Amanda seemingly vanished from the residence overnight. She has never been seen or heard from again.

Amanda had struggled with drug addiction since she was a teenager. Due to this, Amanda's mother had custody of her young daughter. Reports indicate that Amanda tended to live a more transient lifestyle, but she never went more than a week without getting in touch with someone. According to family and friends, Amanda seemed to be doing better in early March 2020, which made her disappearance all the more baffling. 

The circumstances surrounding Amanda's disappearance are quite suspicious. It's reported that Amanda arrived at the residence in Birch Street with three or four other people on March 17th, 2020. She had a bag of clothes with her, in addition to her purse, phone, and other personal belongings. However, Amanda left all of those items behind when she reportedly left the residence in the middle of the night.  

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Initial clues: the Social Security Card.

At first, it seems that there were a few clues for police to work with in Amanda's case. Nine days after her disappearance, Amanda's Social Security card was found on the ground outside of Elliot Hospital in Manchester, New Hampshire. The hospital is located approximately two miles away from Derry Street - where Amanda was last seen. 

However, there are no reports of Amanda checking into the hospital after March 17th, 2020, nor are there reports of anyone seeing her at that location. It's possible that the Social Security card was accidentally dropped there - but it's unclear if it was dropped by Amanda herself, or if someone else had the card in their possession. 

Other potential locations. 

According to reports, Amanda frequented several different areas in New Hampshire, including Manchester, Nashua, Hooksett, and Salem. Amanda's mother stated that Amanda struggled with homelessness at certain times. It could be theorized that Amanda was living homeless in one of these areas, but it does not appear that there have been any sightings of her at any location. 

It's also unknown how Amanda would have been able to travel to different areas. She did not have access to a vehicle. It does not appear that there are any records of her taking a cab/rideshare or any forms of public transportation. 

Additionally, Amanda's mother stated that it's uncharacteristic of Amanda to stay out-of-touch for more than a week. Due to this, it seems even more suspicious that Amanda left her cell phone behind at the residence in Derry. It also seems unlikely that she would not try to find a way to contact her loved ones. 

The cell phone and laptop.

Police looked at Amanda's cell phone for potential clues as well. Reports state that there were messages sent to an unknown person about Amanda wanting to move to Salem. When investigators attempted to trace the phone number, they found that it was from an untraceable prepaid phone. 

Amanda's mother told reporters that other people inside the Birch Street residence were using Amanda's cell phone before it seized by investigators. She also said that Amanda had a laptop at the time of her disappearance that has never been recovered. This inevitably raises even more suspicions about the people Amanda was with prior to vanishing. 

Amanda's friends and associations.

Detectives stated that they have spent several hours conducting interviews and investigating those who were friends and/or acquaintances of Amanda's at the time of her disappearance. However, no persons of interest or suspects have ever been publicly announced. 

As previously noted, Amanda struggled with drug addiction and at times, homelessness. There's also been some online speculation that Amanda was involved with a known drug dealer in the area, but it's unclear if this has ever been confirmed. If true, it's possible that this plays a role in her disappearance.

In 2021, The Vanished Podcast covered Amanda's disappearance. During the episode, it was revealed that Amanda was involved in prostitution. This leads to even further questions: was Amanda harmed by a client? Or does trafficking play a role in her disappearance? 

A friend of Amanda's spoke on the podcast episode. She stated that someone heard a girl screaming "HELP" around the time Amanda disappeared. This feeds into the most prominent theory: that the people inside the Birch Street home know what happened to Amanda. 

Some have speculated that Amanda was harmed by someone inside the house. Others believe that Amanda overdosed at the residence, and then her body was hidden. Police have revealed very little details about their investigation, so it's unclear if they have a prevailing theory at this time.

Remains found.

Five years after her disappearance, on March 20th, 2025, a drone was flown over Hoodkroft Country Club. The drone was flown over the country club's golf course after investigators received a tip regarding Amanda's disappearance. At some point, the drone pilot spotted something of interest. Police were called, and it turned out the "something of interest" that the pilot spotted was, in fact, human remains.

Days later, it was confirmed that those remains were that of Amanda Grazewski. The discovery of her remains marks the end of the heartbreaking search for her loved ones, however they are now left with questions about what happened to her. 

Where the case stands today.

As of right now, the investigation into Amanda's death is ongoing. 

source: lostnmissing.org

There's is a monetary reward available for anyone with information that could solve Amanda's case. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Derry, New Hampshire Police at 603-432-6111.

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Sources:
Boston 25 News
Charley Project
NBC Boston

New York Post
Patch
The Vanished Podcast
Websleuths

The Disappearance and Death of Sharon Crawford

Source: ABC 27 Tallahassee

Sharon Crawford disappeared at the age of 43 on November 8th, 2018. She was last seen alive in Donalsonville, Georgia. When weeks went by without any word from Sharon, her concerned family reported her missing on November 27th, 2018.

On February 16th, 2019 - exactly 100 days after Sharon vanished - her shirt and bicycle were found inside a vacant building in Donalsonville. The discovery of these items intensified the police investigation, as detectives announced that they were chasing several leads at the time. Unfortunately, it seems that those leads never panned out, as the months continued to tick by without any further sign of Sharon.

Fifteen months after Sharon's disappearance, on February 11th, 2020, human skeletal remains were found in a field near the Donalsonville city limits. It took several months to identify the deceased, but in September 2020, it was announced that the remains were that of Sharon Crawford. Police confirmed that Sharon's remains were found dismembered, but at the time, they were still waiting on autopsy results to confirm an exact cause of death.

Years have passed, and there does not appear to be any reporting about the autopsy results or any additional information about Sharon's cause or manner of death. Though it seems likely her death was a homicide, this has never been confirmed by investigators. However, there are several details surrounding Sharon's disappearance and death that support the theory that she was murdered.

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More on about Sharon's disappearance.

As noted above, Sharon was last seen alive on November 8th, 2018. It's known that she was last seen in Donalsonville, but the circumstances of her disappearance are otherwise mostly unclear. There has not been any publicly shared information about who saw Sharon last or any other events leading up to her going missing.

Sharon's disappearance was both baffling and worrisome to her loved ones. Her family reported her missing after nobody had seen or heard from her for approximately three weeks. Once the local news began to cover Sharon's disappearance, her child Jazmine Williams told reporters, "we reported her missing because it was weeks that we haven’t seen or heard from and normally we will get a call or stop by or something."

By all accounts, it was not like Sharon to just vanish. She had four children and was close with her other relatives. Other initial reports about Sharon's disappearance said that both family and police were concerned for her welfare. Those concerns intensified as the weeks stretched into months without any sign of Sharon. 

The search for Sharon. 

The news about Sharon's disappearance seemingly spurred worries amongst the Donalsonville locals as well. Donalsonville is small city with less than 3,000 residents. Locals expressed that disappearances from their small community were largely unheard of. As the word spread about Sharon being missing, some residents expressed their desire to help find her.

In February 2019, a search for Sharon was organized to take place in Donalsonville. The search included several people, including investigators, family members, and volunteers. As noted above, the search took place on February 16th, 2019 - exactly 100 days after Sharon vanished. At some point, searchers went inside a vacant building and found Sharon's shirt and bicycle. 

Messages to the family.

The discovery of Sharon's items created even more mystery surrounding her disappearance. Many commented that the discovery of these items was worrisome, especially if she was riding her bicycle and/or wearing that shirt when she was last seen. Even more questions arose, such as: how did Sharon become separated from those items? Who placed them in the vacant building? And what happened after that?

Around the same time the items were found, Sharon's aunt Rosie Brown told reporters that her family had received alarming messages about Sharon's fate. Rosie stated that, "a lot of [the messages] say she is dead, she’s been killed, she’s been thrown in the river, but the recent one we have gotten says she dead and been buried."

At the time of that reporting, it appears that Sharon's family did not know who was responsible for the messages. It is unclear if investigators ever looked into them. To this day, it is unknown if those messages were from cruel trolls or from someone with actual knowledge about Sharon's death.

Information from police.

Shortly after the search for Sharon, police also spoke out about their investigation. Donalsonville Police Chief Woodrow Blue Jr. confirmed that Sharon's bicycle and shirt were found in the vacant building during the search. Blue told reporters, "we were able to develop a couple of leads from [Sharon's bicycle and shirt], and we are following up on that."

In that same report, dated from February 20th, 2019, Blue mentioned that they were also "working with officials in Jackson County out in Florida" on the case as well. Jackson County is less than 40 miles away from Donalsonville - an approximate 45 to 60-minute drive. It's unknown how Sharon is connected to Jackson County, and investigators did not elaborate on how they ended up connecting with officials in that area. 

February 11th, 2020: human remains are found. 

On February 11th, 2020, human skeletal remains were found in a field near the Donalsonville city limits, specifically off Burl Lane Road and Robbie Forrest Road. 

Source: Google maps

It is unclear who found the remains, as there does not appear to be news about that at this time. It could have been a passerby who found them, or it could have been the result of a search - but this has never been elaborated upon. 

September 2020: remains identified as Sharon; more unknowns arise.

In September 2020, it was announced that the remains were that of Sharon Crawford. At that time, Donalsonville Police Chief Blue told reporters that "The remains of Sharon Crawford has been found dismembered in a field just out of city limits off Burlane (sic) Road." He was also quoted stating that they were still waiting on autopsy results to confirm an exact cause/manner of death.

The fact that Chief Blue specifically mentioned that Sharon's remains were found dismembered is interesting, as it suggests that someone might have dismembered her body before disposing of her in the field. However, due to the fact that Sharon was found 15 months after she vanished, it's possible that wildlife or other environmental factors are responsible for the dismemberment. Police have yet to elaborate on their opinion of why they believe Sharon was found in such a state.

As previously noted, there does not appear to be any further news about Sharon's autopsy results. Whether or not it has been completed, or whether or not it was conclusive, has not been shared with the public. Now several years have passed, and the mystery of what happened to Sharon is still very much just that - a mystery. 

Potential theories. 

As also previously stated there are many suspicious aspects of Sharon's disappearance and death that suggest she was murdered:

• Sharon abruptly stopped contacting her family members/loved ones, which was uncharacteristic of her behavior. There are no reports to indicate she had a habit of dropping out of touch.
  
  
• Sharon's shirt and bicycle were found in a vacant building. This is suspicious for several reasons; most of them mentioned earlier in this write-up. It does not seem likely that one would simply abandon their personal items in a vacant building, especially an item that was seemingly used for transportation. This could suggest that Sharon encountered foul play while riding her bicycle.
  
  
• Sharon's family reportedly received messages stating she was dead and had been buried. While it appears that she was not actually found buried, the messages were correct about Sharon being deceased. If those messages were legitimate, it indicates that at the very least, someone knew that she was dead long before her remains were found. 
  
  
• Sharon's remains were found in the Donalsonville city limits. She was found in the same city from which she vanished. Due to Donalsonville's small size, it's likely that her body was not far from the area she was last seen. While investigators stated that they looked into areas Sharon was known to frequent, nothing seemed to pan out from that. Investigators also stated they were working with authorities in Jackson County, Florida while Sharon was missing - but it appears that Sharon never actually left Donalsonville. 
  
  

All of the above statements suggest that Sharon did not voluntarily vanish. While this does not mean in absolute terms that she was murdered, at the very least it seems likely that someone out there knows exactly what happened to Sharon. 

An unsolved case.

As of today, it appears that Sharon's case remains unsolved. If you have any information that could solve her case, please contact the Donalsonville Police Department at 229-524-2175.

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Sources:

Charley Project
Dothan First, (2), (3)
News 3
WCTV

The Disappearance and Death of Julius TaDarius Jones

Julius 'TaDarius' Jones (26) vanished on August 14th, 2011. He lived in Meridian, Mississippi at the time of his disappearance. TaDarius' loved ones last saw him on the evening he went missing. He ate dinner with his family, went out afterwards, then never returned home. TaDarius was never seen or heard from again.

Two days after he was last seen, TaDarius' car was found parked near an abandoned home on 27th Street. There was no sign of TaDarius at the scene and no additional clues were found. Investigators reportedly chased numerous leads over the years, but no suspects were ever named. His family members believed he met with foul play since the onset of the investigation. There has been a lot of online speculation about specific people being involved. It appears said people have been interviewed by police, but no arrests have been made. 

On February 19th, 2019, TaDarius was declared legally dead. It appears that this declaration was made by law enforcement, as TaDarius's mother said she did not learn that her son had been declared dead until July 2022. This news was inevitably upsetting to TaDarius' family as they still hoped for answers.

Years passed without any sign of TaDarius. Then, in August 2024, human remains were found in the 2300 block of 26th Street. In January 2025, those human remains were positively identified as Julius 'TaDarius' Jones. His death remains under investigation.

After the identification of TaDarius' remains, his father spoke to reporters about their family's ongoing search for answers. He stated, "Eventually, we’re going to find out now really what happened to our son because his body was his remains were found at one location. His vehicle found another location, so there’s no closure in that, and we just really want to know this time what happened, and my heart goes out to whoever may know who may have information. That they have lived with this for 13 going on 14 years with this information and haven’t said anything, and I’m pleading today that if you know anything, please come forward to really give us rest and closure."

If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Meridian Police Department at 601-485-1859.

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Sources:
ABC 11
Charley Project
The Meridian Star

TV One
Twin States News

The Suspicious Disappearance and Death of Nicole Mallatt

Source: KSHB 41

Nicole Mallatt was amongst the millions of people in the United States who were preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday during November 2019. The 36-year-old was looking forward to having quality time with her children, as they planned to make their Thanksgiving meal together. Unfortunately, this never got to happen, as Nicole vanished on November 26th, 2019 - just two days before the holiday.

At the time of her disappearance, Nicole lived with her boyfriend, Brad Shreve, and their four children in Bates County, Missouri. Their residence on SW County Road 3508 is considered to be located in a rural area. Nicole was last seen just down the street from her residence on the evening she vanished. 

According to reports, Nicole's ex-husband Richie Mallatt picked her up near her home that evening. Richie later told investigators that the two spent approximately 45 minutes together before he dropped Nicole off in the same area where he picked her up. A short time later, a neighbor driving by saw a woman who he believed to be Nicole standing on the side of that same road. After that final sighting, Nicole was never seen alive again. 

Nicole was reported missing on November 29th, 2019. A few days later, searchers found Nicole's backpack, shoes, and cell phone alongside a creek located near the area where she was last seen. Investigators also searched Nicole's residence but did not disclose if any evidence was found. 

Nearly a year passed without any further sign of Nicole. Then, on November 3rd, 2020, a farmer plowing his field found a pair of sweatpants with a human femur bone inside them. He then discovered several more human remains alongside a nearby creek - the same creek where Nicole's items had been found almost a year earlier. 

Police were called, and the responding investigators immediately had a hunch that the remains belonged to Nicole. Three days later, it was confirmed that the remains were, in fact, that of Nicole Mallatt. However, an autopsy was unable to confirm an exact cause of death. This, in addition to many other suspicious aspects of Nicole's case, leaves several unanswered questions. 

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What happened to Nicole?

Source: Facebook

As previously noted, Nicole spent time with her ex-husband Richie Mallatt shortly before her disappearance. While this inevitably leads to questions about Richie's potential involvement, he has never been publicly labeled as a suspect. Additionally, a neighbor believes that he saw Nicole after Richie dropped her off that evening.

That neighbor, Josh Mellenbruch, told reporters in 2023 that he saw a woman matching Nicole's description standing on the side of SW County Road, wearing a hoodie and carrying a backpack. Mellenbruch explained that "he slowed down and asked Nicole if she needed a ride since she was standing out in the dark. She declined the ride, saying she was waiting on someone to pick her up."

It appears that it was never confirmed that the woman Mellenbruch saw was, in fact, Nicole, but it certainly seems plausible. There were no other reported sightings of Nicole after that instance. 

Before Nicole's disappearance.

According to reports, Nicole sent messages to friends and family members in the weeks leading up to her disappearance that indicated that she was going through a hard time. In October 2019, she sent a text message to her aunt that said "I don't know what to do anymore. If I don't leave here soon, he's only going to end up killing me." 

Nicole sent messages of similar nature to other people around the same time. She also had a long phone conversation with a woman named Heather Smith - Nicole's friend of over 20 years. Heather told reporters that Nicole said she was going to leave after Thanksgiving "if things continued to go the way they were going." If Nicole was, in fact, serious about leaving after Thanksgiving, it seems all the more suspicious that she vanished right before the holiday. 

It also seems likely that Nicole was referring to her live-in boyfriend, Brad Shreve, in the aforementioned messages. However, according to investigators, Nicole did not identify anyone by name in the texts. Still, suspicions about Brad are present.

Relationship with Brad Shreve.

Nicole and Brad had been together, seemingly off and on, for 18 years. The couple had four children together. At some point throughout those 18 years, Nicole married another man before seemingly getting back together with Brad. 

Nicole's family and friends told reporters that domestic violence was present in her relationship with Brad. In 2018, Brad was charged with assault after getting into a physical altercation with Nicole and another man at their home. In October 2019, Nicole reportedly called police about a "domestic disturbance", but when officers showed up at the house, she stated she actually told dispatchers to not send anyone.

During that incident, Brad ended up being arrested for illegally growing marijuana and for felony possession of a weapon. According to the police report, both Brad and Nicole told the deputy that their dispute was verbal, so no charges related to a domestic disturbance were filed. 

On November 25th, 2019 - just a day before Nicole vanished - she reportedly messaged her sister-in-law, saying that she might need to stay with her for a few days due to a fight she had gotten into with Brad. 

Brad has acknowledged that he and Nicole were, in fact, fighting shortly before her disappearance. However, he denies any involvement in her disappearance and death. In 2023, Brad told a reporter that he went to his father's house in Butler, Missouri on the day of Nicole's disappearance. The reporter corroborated this with Brad's father, but it's unclear if police have been able to confirm this alibi.

Searching for Nicole.

Reports state that Nicole was reported missing by Brad's family on November 29th, 2019. The initial missing persons advisory stated that Nicole "might have suicidal ideations." Nicole's family members do not believe she was suicidal, nor do they believe she would voluntarily be out-of-touch with her children. 

As mentioned earlier, a search for Nicole turned up her cell phone, shoes, and backpack - but not Nicole herself. The items were located alongside a creek, approximately 100 yards away from the property line of Nicole's residence.

Search teams during a search for Nicole. (Source: KSHB 41)

Months passed, and Nicole remained missing. Meanwhile, the relationship between Nicole's family and Brad's family began to deteriorate. Nicole's loved ones reportedly pointed the finger at Brad; claiming he was responsible for Nicole's disappearance. During June 2020, police were called several times about threats being made towards Brad and his family by Nicole's supporters. 

Nicole is found - but why did it take so long?

Nicole's partial remains were found by a farmer plowing his property on November 3rd, 2020. According to reports, her remains were found just 500 yards away from where her items were found in November 2019 - and just 600 yards away from her own property line. 

Many have questioned how Nicole was not found during the professional searches shortly after she went missing. While it seems possible that she was simply not spotted, some have questioned if her remains were placed there after the searches were conducted. 

An inconclusive autopsy.

Due to the fact that Nicole's remains were bones at the time they were found, investigators were not able to conduct a toxicology examination. The state of the remains also did not reveal an obvious cause of death. 

Investigators have not labeled Nicole's death as a homicide, but the case is still open. Police are still searching for clues and leads.

Where the case stands.

In 2023, it was reported that detectives have a few "persons of interest" who they have not publicly named due to the ongoing investigation. It is also believed that people who have not spoken up know about what might have happened to Nicole. 

Nicole's loved ones are hoping to find answers. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.

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Sources:
FOX 4 KC
KSBH 41, (2)
People
Uncovered

The Disappearance and Death of Kaysera Stops Pretty Places

 

Kaysera Stops Pretty Places was only 18 years old when she was found deceased in Hardin, Montana on August 29th, 2019. The young girl was a member of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne tribal communities and she lived with her grandmother. Kaysera was last seen by her family members on August 24th, 2019. She was reported missing on August 27th. 

Two days later, a passerby spotted human remains in the backyard of a Hardin home. The remains were later identified as Kaysera. Unfortunately, the discovery of her remains has led to more questions than answers. Authorities have described Kaysera's case as suspicious, but medical examiners were unable to determine an exact cause or manner of death. Her autopsy reportedly did not turn up any evidence of injury or disease. However, asphyxia was not ruled out.

According to a report released in 2021, one of Kaysera's relatives believes that Kaysera was hanging out with a person who purchased alcohol for her shortly before her death. Witnesses in that area reportedly told police that they heard an argument around 3:00 AM involving Kaysera and three other individuals: two young girls, aged 17 and 19, and a 23-year-old man. The argument apparently prompted a nearby homeowner to set off their car alarm, which caused Kaysera and the others to run off in different directions. Kaysera was then last seen running towards the backyard where her body was later found. 

Although Kaysera's manner of death remains undetermined, her family members believe she was murdered. Her family members also feel that local authorities have not put enough investigative efforts into her case. Kaysera's remains were reportedly cremated after the autopsy, so it is impossible for any further examinations of her body to be completed. Her family members stated that she was cremated without their consent. 

Kaysera's case is one of many unsolved cases among Native American women who have gone missing or have been murdered. According to the Justice Department, there are certain areas in the United States where "Native women are murdered at rates more than 10 times the national average." (source) Additionally, cases of missing and murdered Native women tend to go unsolved more often as well. 

Kaysera's family is still hoping to gain answers about her disappearance and death. There is a monetary reward available for anyone with information that could help solve her case. If you have any information, please call (406) 665-9780. 

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Sources:
Justice for Kaysera
NBC News
Uncovered

The Disappearances & Deaths of Sitlalli Avelar & Kamryn Meyers

On the evening of January 21st, 2023, authorities in Mesa, Arizona received a call about an unusual object floating in a water retention basin near Southern Avenue and Superstition Springs Boulevard. A man walking his dog near the basin had spotted what he thought was a mannequin in the water. When police arrived, they determined that the man had actually spotted the body of a young female. While investigating the scene, police found the body of another young female just 10 feet away. 

Days later, the bodies were identified as Sitlalli Avelar (17) and Kamryn Meyers (15) - two teens who had vanished earlier that month. Sitlalli and Kamryn were both staying at a group home in Mesa run by Powerhouse Youth Facility Inc. They reportedly ran away from the facility together on January 7th, 2023. The group home's staff members reported Sitlalli and Kamryn missing that same day.

According to reports, both Sitlalli and Kamryn had a history of running away. The staff at their group home heard that the two girls had been hatching a plan to leave, and procedures were followed to encourage them to stay. Arizona law prohibits state-licensed group homes from forcing children to remain there, so the staff members were limited in what they could do to prevent Sitlalli and Kamryn from leaving.

When it was discovered that the girls had followed through on their plan to run away, the staff members immediately followed the proper protocols with both police and the Department of Child Services. Hope was held out that Sitlalli and Kamryn would resurface, but nobody had seen or heard from either of them since they left the group home. One of Kamryn's friends reported that she had been inactive in their group chat, which was unusual. Both girls had also been inactive on social media. 

The whereabouts of the girls remained unknown for 14 days until their bodies were found on January 21st. The medical examiner's office took months to determine their exact causes of death. Police initially suspected foul play was involved. However, no suspects or persons of interest were publicly announced.

In March 2023, it was announced that the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the deaths of Sitlalli and Kamryn as accidental. The Medical Examiner's Office specifically stated that their causes of death were "drowning in the setting of acute alcohol intoxication." 

However, in that same report, it was stated that investigators were still unsure how, exactly, the girls ended up in the water basin or where the girls went after they first were reported missing. At the time of this reporting, police were still investigating. It's unclear if any new information has been uncovered since then.

If you have any information regarding the deaths of Sitlalli and Kamryn, please contact investigators at 480-644-2211.

Sources:
12 News
ABC 15, 
Oxygen
People
WAFB 9

The Disappearance & Murder of Megan Nichols

Megan Nichols (15) disappeared from her home in Fairfield, Illinois on July 3rd, 2014. That day, Megan and her mother Kathy Jo planned to run errands together, but Megan stayed back after claiming that she wasn’t feeling well. Kathy Jo said that when she returned from the errands later, Megan was gone. She left her phone in her bedroom—which had been completely reset—and a note for her mother that said, in part, “I love you, but I will never be happy here. Don’t look for me.”

Police initially classified Megan as a runaway but changed her status to endangered missing after extended time went by without any trace of Megan. Over three years, there were many searches for Megan in Fairfield and many other surrounding areas that turned up nothing.

Finally, on December 26th, 2017, remains were found in a wooded area in Wayne County, Illinois. A month later, those remains were confirmed to be Megan’s. Despite the original belief that Megan had runaway, it became clear at that point that she likely never left the Wayne County area. 

Details surrounding Megan’s death remained quite mysterious. Initially, authorities did not release any details on how Megan died or if foul play was involved. There was speculation about the 18-year-old she was dating at the time of her disappearance was involved, but it took years before that would finally be confirmed.

Then, during October 2020, an arrest was made in Megan's case. On October 6th, 2020, Brodey Murbarger, aged 24 at this point, was taken into custody and indicted on six counts: three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of home invasion, and one count of concealment of homicidal death. Shortly after his arrest, it was announced that prosecutors believed that Murbarger had suffocated and strangled Megan to death. 

Murbarger's arrest was the first step towards justice for Megan and her loved ones. Throughout the court proceedings, the prosecution presented exactly what they believed happened to Megan - and how the investigation zeroed in on Murbarger as their suspect. 

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Megan's relationship with Brodey Murbarger.

Megan and Brodey Murbarger met in Fairfield when they were both young children. The two reconnected when Megan was in eighth grade, and they grew even closer when Megan reached high school and joined the glee club. Murbarger, who was also in the glee club, began to a pursue a relationship with Megan.  

However, Murbarger was also dating another girl in the glee club. He reportedly would brag to other students about how he was dating both girls. In the spring of 2014, it appeared that Murbarger was spending more time with Megan than the other girl. As such, Megan was hurt when Murbarger brought the other girl to prom - but she still continued a relationship with him.

Megan's mother Kathy Jo was also upset when she heard about Murbarger bringing the other girl to prom. In fact, Kathy Jo subsequently told Megan that she no longer wanted her to see Murbarger. She forbade Murbarger from coming to their house.

Still, Murbarger showed up anyway. When Kathy Jo told him that she did not want him dating Megan, he reportedly replied, "Look, you are way too controlling. You’re concerning me, and I think you need to be on medication." Murbarger later texted Kathy Jo and said that he had spoken to a guidance counselor about her. His text read, in part, "They know what you’re doing to your child. And I don’t want to get DCFS involved but I will if I have to."

Kathy Jo's disdain for Murbarger put a wedge between her and Megan - especially since it appeared that Murbarger had a very strong influence over Megan. 

The initial investigation into Megan's disappearance.

As previously noted, Megan was reported missing on July 3rd, 2014. It did not take authorities long to learn about her relationship with Brodey Murbarger. There were some immediate red flags about Murbarger in the onset of the investigation. 

In fact, on the morning of July 4th - just hours after Megan's disappearance - Murbarger was spotted washing his car. Not only did it seem odd for a 19-year-old to be thoroughly washing his car at 8:00 AM, but it also seemed even more strange that he was doing that while Megan's family members were frantically searching for her. 

Murbarger told investigators that he was washing his car because he could not sleep. He also admitted to seeing Megan before her disappearance, but he denied any knowledge of her whereabouts. 

Still, investigators looked at Murbarger's car for potential evidence. They field tested a stain in the car, thinking it might be blood, but the results came back negative. 

After that, Megan's case seemingly went cold. Years passed without any updates in the case as Megan remained missing.

Finding Megan's remains.

On December 26th, 2017, a couple found human remains in a rural area of Wayne County. A month later, the remains were identified as that of Megan Nichols. Many people in the area had been involved in the search for Megan over the years, and the discovery of her remains brought some closure, but also many questions about what happened to the young girl.

The discovery of Megan's remains also led to continued speculation about Murbarger's potential involvement in the case - especially after it was revealed that Megan's death was being investigated as a homicide. At this point, Murbarger had moved to Evansville, Indiana. He continued to deny involvement in Megan's disappearance and death.

Evidence from Murbarger's car resurfaces.

Murbarger's 2009 Dodge Avenger. (source: 14 News)

At some point during the investigation into Megan's disappearance and death, the Illinois State Police turned to the FBI for help. The FBI had more advanced resources that the state police, which ultimately led to the decision to revisit that stain found in Murbarger's 2009 Dodge Avenger early into the investigation.

While trying to track down the car, the FBI agents learned that Murbarger had crashed it into a tree during 2016. Afterwards, the car was given to a salvage yard, and then was later sold to a couple in Missouri. FBI Agent Ray Hart was able to track down said couple, who consented to having the car seized for more extensive testing. 

The testing confirmed the state police's initial suspicions: that the stain was, in fact blood. And not just anybody's blood; the testing revealed the blood belonged to Megan. 

By this point, Murbarger was refusing to speak to investigators without a lawyer. As such, the FBI turned to a friend of Murbarger's to try and garner a confession from him.

Murbarger's friend works with the FBI.

Kyle Ellis on Dateline.

Kyle Ellis had been friends with Brodey Murbarger since childhood. Ellis also knew Megan and was well aware of the drama between Murbarger and Megan prior to Megan's disappearance. Still, Ellis never believed that his friend of several years would be capable of murder. Ellis did acknowledge, however, that Murbarger had a temper that would flare up at times that would show a completely different side to him.

After graduating high school, Ellis and Murbarger both attended the University of Southern Indiana. They eventually moved into an apartment together in Evansville. At certain times, Ellis would see Murbarger's hostile side, fueled by his temper - but he still did not believe that Murbarger was a killer.

That opinion changed in 2018, when Ellis was contacted by the FBI. He was then told that the FBI had evidence that Murbarger was, in fact, involved in Megan's disappearance and murder. The FBI explained that Megan's blood had been found in Murbarger's car - and they wanted Ellis to confront Murbarger with said information.

More specifically, the FBI asked Ellis to have a conversation with Murbarger while wearing a wire. During the conversation, Ellis asked Murbarger why Megan's blood was found in his car. Murbarger claimed he did not know why. He also denied killing Megan. He claimed he would not be capable of strangling or suffocating Megan.

Despite Murbarger's continuous denial of killing Megan, Ellis noted that there was one part of their conversation that made him sure of Murbarger's guilt. At one point, Murbarger said to Ellis, "I probably couldn’t even have lifted my own body weight, much less strangled — if someone with anger issues found out about something and strangled her." 

Ellis stated that the last part of that sentence - about someone with anger issues finding out about something and strangling her - was a "pin drop moment". While not a direct admission of guilt, Ellis now felt it was very possible that Murbarger had found out about something about Megan that angered him, causing his temper to flare up - and he subsequently killed her. 

Throughout his involvement in the investigation, Ellis also recalled an odd conversation he had with Murbarger that occurred years earlier. In April 2014, just months before Megan vanished, Murbarger tried to sell many of his items to Ellis so he could have cash to support himself. Dateline reported that Murbarger tried to give Ellis "his guitars, video game consoles and motorcycle — in exchange for $3,000. Murbarger was sick of his family, he told Ellis, and he wanted to run away."

At the time, Ellis felt that Murbarger was simply being dramatic was not actually serious about running away. However, Murbarger did continue to bring up the idea of running away over the next few months. He occasionally would mention Megan in his plans as well. 

When Megan vanished and left a note behind saying that she was running away, this did not seem like a coincidence - especially after it was revealed that Megan withdrew cash from an ATM on the day of her disappearance. Additionally, Murbarger admitted to seeing Megan on the day she vanished.

While Ellis was aware of this information years earlier, the 2018 conversation with Murbarger was what truly helped connect the dots. It soon became the working theory that Murbarger lured Megan into believing the two of them were going to run away together. She met up with him on the day of her disappearance, and at some point, his temper arose, and he strangled her. 

Arrest and trial.

The FBI continued to build their murder case over the next two years. Finally, in 2020, Brodey Murbarger was arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder and home invasion and one count of concealing a homicidal death. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

source: NBC News

Murbarger's trial began during the fall of 2023. The prosecution presented their above-mentioned theory: Megan left her house on July 3rd, 2014, because she thought she and Murbarger were going to run away together. At some point, Murbarger snapped and suffocated and strangled Megan to death. He then hid her body in a rural area. 

Evidence was presented that Murbarger and Megan had been talking about running away together for about 5 months prior to her disappearance. The prosecution also presented testimony about Megan's blood being found in Murbarger's vehicle. These two factors, in addition to the other evidence presented, helped paint a picture of the aforementioned theory. 

Murbarger took the stand and said he had noticed the bloodstain after a consensual sexual encounter between him and Megan occurred in his car; and this was why Megan's blood was in his vehicle. The prosecution maintained their belief that Megan's blood was there due to Murbarger attacking Megan and subsequently killing her. 

Conviction and sentencing.

In October 2022, Brodey Murbarger was found guilty of the murder of Megan Nichols. His defense team almost immediately made a request for a new trial. In January 2023, a judge denied the request.

That same month, Brodey Murbarger was sentenced to 50 years in prison. At his sentencing, he still denied involvement in Megan's murder. However, he took responsibility for the events leading up to her disappearance.

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Sources:
14 News, (2)
44 News
International Business Times
NBC News
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WRUL