☮Katelin Michelle Akens☮
She was born on September 2nd, 1996 to Lisa Sullivan. She grew up in Caroline County, Virginia with her younger sister named Gabrielle. When Kate was 7 years old, Lisa married James Branton.
Katelin was unique, quirky, sometimes unpredictable, and emotional. She was outgoing, carefree and fun-loving. She dyed her hair different colors, gave herself different haircuts, and had tattoos and piercings. Katelin had an active social life. And was always attached to her phone. She was allergic to cats, but loved everything Hello Kitty. Katelin was clumsy and could make you laugh.She was super smart. She was so smart in fact, that she graduated from high school when she was just 16.
After graduation, Katelin got a job so she could move out of her parents' house as soon as she could. She didn’t trust her stepfather, James.
“She felt very nervous around him, and that he was kind of abusive to an extent. I can’t confirm physical because she never outright told me, but definitely verbally,” said her friend, Kevin Eastridge.
One of Katelin's friends was a girl named Amber Rios. When Amber was 11, she and her family moved to Arizona. Despite the distance between them, they eventually fell in love. In 2014, when Katelin turned 18, she moved to Arizona to be with Amber and the two soon got engaged. While in Arizona, Katelin kept in constant contact with her mother and sister. She would call and text them several times a day.
Katelin didn't stay in Arizona for very long.
She wanted to see her sister's new baby boy. She also needed to go back to Virginia to get a copy of her diploma for cosmetology school. So, on December 1st, 2015, Katelin was back in her hometown. She was only going to stay for a few days, because she was suppose to start cosmetology school on December 7th.
On December 5th, Katelin needed a ride to the airport so she could get back to Arizona before she started school. Her mother had to work, so at 9:20 a.m., she dropped Katelin off at her now ex-husband place in Partlow. Little did Lisa know, that was the last time she'd see her daughter.
Even though they were divorced, James and Lisa were on good terms. He seemed happy to see Katelin and excited to hear that she was starting cosmetology school.
At 1:52 p.m., James texted Lisa telling her that he dropped Katelin off at the Springfield Mall Metro Station at her request.
At 2 p.m., Lisa gets another text, this time from Katelin's phone.
Katelin's friend, Kevin, said that they were really close friends, and even dated in the past. He was shocked that Katelin had never text him to tell him that she was leaving. He said that that was very uncharacteristic of her.
Later, Lisa learned that Katelin's fiancee had received a text from Katelin's phone earlier that day.
Lisa got nervous when Amber had texted her saying that Katelin wasn’t coming home, she needed a new flight, something was wrong with her flight. Lisa continued to call and text Katelin but got no answer.
Lisa was on her way home from work, so she pulled over to the side of the road to quickly call her daughter back. Katelin's phone went straight to voicemail.
While filing out the paper work, police informed Lisa that 50 miles south of the airport, and just a few miles from where James lived, a road crew had just found Katelin's blue suitcase in a drainage ditch in the 6600 block of River Road outside Fredericksburg.
Investigators said the suitcase was scuffed up and one of the wheels was missing, suggesting it had been tossed out of a moving vehicle. Katelin's ID, wallet, glasses, cash, plane ticket, phone charger, and credit cards were still inside her luggage. Katelin's phone, clothing, and high school diploma were missing.
At this point, detectives pulled up Katelin's phone records, as well as James. They want to see if they can determine why Katelin's luggage was found so far away from the metro station and the airport. They also want to double check and see if there was any discrepancies in Jame's statement about dropping Katelin off at the metro station when he said he did.
When James texted Lisa at 1:52 p.m., saying he’d just dropped Katelin off at the airport, his cell phone pinged close to his home.
When Katelin's phone had sent the text at 2 p.m. to Lisa, claiming she was at the airport, her phone pinged at a location more than 30 miles from the Springfield Metro stop, where James claimed to have dropped her off.
When Lisa had received those two final texts from Katelin's phone at 7:15 p.m, Katelin's phone was pinged in Stafford, less than 15 miles from where her luggage was found.
Since Katelin, nor James or his vehicle, were ever picked up on any cameras in or around the airport or metro station, investigators believe that she never left the area around James' house.
James was now a person of interest in Katelin's disappearance.
James had told Lisa that he had to be to work at 3 p.m. on the day that Katelin disappeared. He called in sick that day.
When police searched James' vehicles, his computers and confiscated his cellphone, they didn't find anything incriminating. Although, they were not able to get access into James' phone.
James had agreed to take a polygraph test, but when the time came, he didn't go through with it.
Something else came out about Katelin's visit to her hometown. Katelin had spent her last night in Virginia partying with a friend from high school and the friend’s boyfriend. Katelin later told her Keven of what transpired at the party.
“Her boyfriend got really really really drunk and then she kissed me and then he kissed me. They did everything to me and each other. I don’t know how to feel or anything. I’ve been depressed and crying all day,” she texted to Keven.
James had agreed to take a polygraph test, but when the time came, he didn't go through with it.
Something else came out about Katelin's visit to her hometown. Katelin had spent her last night in Virginia partying with a friend from high school and the friend’s boyfriend. Katelin later told her Keven of what transpired at the party.
“Her boyfriend got really really really drunk and then she kissed me and then he kissed me. They did everything to me and each other. I don’t know how to feel or anything. I’ve been depressed and crying all day,” she texted to Keven.
Did Katelin run away, or is there something more sinister going on?
Katelin has no history of mental illness and no history of dropping out of sight.
What do you think happened to Katelin?
If you have any information in Katelin's disappearance, please contact Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office 540-582-7115.
At the time of her disappearance Katelin was 5'4" tall, 122 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes.
She has a tattoo of five butterflies on her left forearm and a tattoo of three red stars bursting on the top of her foot. She wears eyeglasses with dark frames. Her nose and navel are pierced and the right side of her lower lip is pierced. She also has gauge-type piercings in her ears. She was last seen wearing a dark gray fleece pullover sweatshirt with a Bass Pro Shop emblem, black pants and pink and black Vans shoes.
I'm not sure what happened to Katelin. I'm leaning towards foul play. I'm also not sure that her stepfather was in on whatever happened to her. I'm kinda leaning towards someone else that was close to her having something to do with it.
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