Name: Heather Mae Kelley
Age: 35 years old
Last seen: December 10, 2022
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Status: Still Missing
Case Information
35-year-old Heather Kelley was last seen in Kalamazoo, Michigan on December 10, 2022. She disappeared after leaving her house, telling her children over the phone that she would be back soon.
Background
At the time of her disappearance, Heather Kelley was living with her family in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is the mother of eight children.
Disappearance
On December 10, 2022, Heather Kelley left her home in Kalamazoo, Michigan, around 9:00 p.m.
At 10:20 p.m, Heather spoke on the phone with her kids, saying she would be home shortly. She was last seen by a surveillance camera outside of a business in Comstock Township.
Heather Kelley never returned home that night and has never been heard from again.
On December 11, 2022, her truck was found abandoned near the intersection of Sprinkle Road and East Michigan Avenue in Comstock Township, Michigan, about three miles away from where she was last seen.
Investigation
A Michigan State Police helicopter spent multiple days searching over the wooded area near where Heather’s abandoned truck was found.
During a press conference on December 19, 2022, authorities announced that evidence found in Heather Kelley’s vehicle indicates foul play in her disappearance, and that a person of interest was being held on an unrelated charge.
Investigators have declined to elaborate further on what led them to believe foul play was involved, and emphasize that they’re still seeking tips from anyone who may have information regarding her disappearance.
On January 13, 2022, dive teams searched an area near Sprinkle Road, close to where Heather’s car was found abandoned back in December. The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the search was for Kelley, following up on one of tips they’ve received.
The Sheriff’s Office also also confirmed that the person of interest in Heather’s case remains in custody.
On February 8, 2023, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office announced that Heather’s disappearance was being investigated as a homicide.
Person of Interest Identified as Heather’s Boyfriend
In February of 2023, the person of interest in Heather’s case was identified as her boyfriend, Carlos Watts Jr, who was on probation and left his home without permission the day after Heather went missing.
On the day Heather went missing he was working as a busboy at the Park Club, according to his GPS tether. The tether went dead around 9:30 pm that night.
According to court documents, he returned to his probation home around 2:45 am, with what witnesses recall as deep scratches on his chest and back.
Police later found clothing in a field about half a mile away from where Heather’s abandoned car was found, including a pair of jeans and a durag. Tests later determined that the jeans and durag had DNA from Heather and Watts.
According to authorities, Watts was interviewed on the night of Heather’s disappearance, and later cut off his tether and escaped through an emergency exit the next morning.
On December 14, 2022, Watts was arrested after a two hour standoff at a home in Battle Creek.
Whereabouts
Foul play is suspected in Heather Kelley’s disappearance. A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to Heather’s discovery.
The circumstances of Heather Kelley’s disappearance remain unclear and her case is currently classified as missing. Her case remains unsolved.
Appearance
Physical Description:
White female with blonde hair and brown eyes. Heather is 5’10 tall and weighs 130 pounds.
Distinctive Physical Features:
Heather has multiple tattoos including a lion and rose on her right forearm, a dream catcher on her left forearm, and other tattoos on her left thigh and right ankle.
Clothing and accessories:
Heather always wears a silver heart necklace.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Heather Mae Kelley please contact the Kalamazoo County Central Dispatch at (269) 488-8911, or the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office at (269) 383-8748.
Resources & Further Information
Help Us Find Heather Kelley – Facebook
News & Media Links
Police searching for missing Portage mom – FOX17 West Michigan 12/2022
Foul play suspected in disappearance of Portage mother of 8 – FOX17 West Michigan 12/2022
$5K reward offered in Portage woman’s disappearance, foul play suspected – M Live 12/2022
Foul Play Suspected After Michigan Mother Never Came Home on Dec.10 – Fox 2 News 01/2023
Dive Teams Searching For Missing Heather Kelley – Channel 3 News 01/2023
Videos & Flyers
Sorry this woman is missing. But as a mother I have questions as to who was with her children ?
And how could she afford tattoos with 8 kids. Did they all have the same father or were some adopted?
None of this matters no is it any of your fucking business!!!
All of her children have the same father!! She worked hard to support her family! Her kids ages are 5yr to 17yrs old therefore the older ones could watch the younger ones sleep while she drove to pick her boyfriend up from work as she always had.
And as far as her tattoos go… is that even relevant to what has happened to her? Wow as a mom you should worry more about ur kids then taking the inventory of a woman who quite clearly has been murdered!+ smh
When she spoke to her children ,did she s peak as she normally did , what is the age of the eldest child ? .
What she told her children ” that she would be back soon ” , could it not mean that she had to leave for a while in order to sort issues out , and not necessary ” immediately soon ” ( i . e . days , not an hour / s ? .
What does she do for a living ? , why would you have to make use of a helicopter multiple days , given how quickly a person of interest was apprehended the other means were not necessary.
The place were she was last seen is this also the place of her work , and what sort of business ? .
Is this business the sort that does valuable /specialized equipment and can fetch a high premium price on the ” Black Market ” ? .
Was this a ” Set – Up ” and switched vehicles ? .
Hello I am a family member of Heather and I’d like to answer the questions that have been asked in the previous comments. YES all of her children have the same father.. they split up a couple years ago and she had been dating someone else(who is in custody now) she worked for the same company for as long as I can remember and she’s a very good mother! Her oldest child is 18yrs old and was watching the younger ones while she went to pick up her current boyfriend from work. (Again he is now in custody) her truck was found on fire! She didn’t walk away from her kids! Not in a million years! There was alot of blood found in her vehicle as well, which is why foul play is suspected. Please if anyone knows anything please please say something we all just want to know what happened.
Her children are being looked after by their father and our family. Thank you
Perfectly said!!