Female body found near home of man suspected of kidnapping Texas woman
Police found a female body near the home of the man suspected of kidnapping a missing Texas woman in Collin County.
Timothy Abero / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm
Texas police are investigating after finding a female body near the home of the man suspected of kidnapping a missing woman from Collin County, an area near Plano and Garland. The Collin County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Rangers found the body in a Grand Prairie field on Wednesday, January 18, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office.
Kayla Kelley, 33, was reported missing on January 11 after friends had not seen or heard from her for several days, the Collin County Sheriff’s Office said. Following her disappearance, Kelley’s vehicle was found burned beyond recognition and located in a remote area of Frisco on January 12.
Ocastor Ferguson, 32, was arrested on a kidnapping charge during the investigation into Kelley’s disappearance. He was booked into jail on a $1 million bond, according to the sheriff’s office. Officials told WFAA that the body was found less than a mile from Ferguson’s home.
According to an affidavit pulled from WFAA, Ferguson and Kelley had been dating after meeting online in 2022. Ferguson told investigators that he used a fake name when dating Kelley. Before she disappeared, Kelley learned Ferguson was married after finding out his real identity. The affidavit stated that Kelley said she would tell Ferguson’s wife about their affair if he didn’t answer her.
Phone records showed that Ferguson had driven to the area where Kelley’s vehicle was found, the affidavit said. Ferguson told investigators he did not know what happened to Kelley.
Collin County Sheriff’s Office has not released if the body found was Kelley’s. The located remains will be further examined by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The public is encouraged to contact the Collin County Sheriff’s Office with any information related to the disappearance of Kelley. Investigators can be reached at (972)547-5100 or by texting 847411.
