Katelin Akens was a woman who disappeared in 2015.
Case[]
Background[]
Katelin grew up in Virginia with her mother, Lisa Sullivan, younger sister, Gabby and stepfather, James Branton. Katelin didn't get along with James, and he was described as being somewhat verbally abusive to her. As an adult, she moved to Arizona with a woman she was dating named Amber.
Disappearance[]
In December 2015, Katelin visited her family in Virginia. She was due to get a flight back to Arizona on December 5th at about 5 or 5:30 p.m. (conflicting reports)
Her stepfather, James Branton, gave her a lift to the airport. Branton texted Lisa at 1:52 p.m., saying he had dropped her off at the Springfield Mall Metro Station because she wanted to get the Metro to the airport instead. At 2 p.m., Katelin texted Lisa and said she was at the airport and that her phone was dying, so she did not text for a bit. Earlier at 11:56 a.m., Katelin had sent a text to Amber saying that she wouldn't be able to return to Arizona that day. At 7:15 p.m., Katelin texted her mother, saying,"I'm staying with a friend / I need some time alone," Which Lisa noted wasn't how Katelin normally typed.
Two days later, Katelin's suitcase was found abandoned in a creek off a rural road. It appeared it had been tossed out of a car window. Her credit cards, ID, wallet, glasses, and planet ticket were still inside, but her clothes and phone were missing.
Investigators immediately expected Barton to be involved and looked through his phone records. It showed that the message he sent at 2 p.m. was sent near his home, nowhere near the metro station. The final text from Katelin at 7:15 p.m. was sent from a location in Stafford just 15 miles from where her luggage was found.