Katelin Akens

Name: Katelin Akens
Last seen: December 5, 2015
Location: Alexandria, Virgina
Status: Still missing
Disappeared: Season 8 Episode 7 “Flight Risk”

Case Information

Katelin Akens was last seen by her stepfather, James Branton, on Saturday December 5, 2015. He was giving her a ride to the Reagan National Airport, about 60 miles away from his home in Spotsylvania County. He claims Katelin told him to drop her off at the Springfield Mall so she could hang out there for a couple of hours before catching her flight. According to her stepfather, Katelin was dropped off at the mall between 1-2pm, and that she said was going to take the Franconia-Springfield metro to the airport to catch her flight later that afternoon.

She had a 5:40 pm flight to Arizona booked. She never made the flight. She hasn’t been seen or heard from since.

Katelin’s mother recieved a text at 1:56 pm from Katelin, stating that she had made it to the airport and that her battery was dying so she wouldn’t be able to text for a while. When police tracked her phone they found that it had pinged at a location 30 miles away from the airport. At 7:15 pm another text was sent from Katelin’s phone to her mother, stating that she wanted to be alone. That message pinged from a location 15 miles from Fredricksburg.

Her luggage was found a few days later, 50 miles away from the airport, located in a ditch along the 6600 block River Road near the Fredricksburg city limits. Her wallet and plane ticket were inside the luggage. Her cell phone and some of her clothing were missing. Her phone has not been turned back on since she disappeared.

The stepfather messaged Katelin’s mother at 2 p.m. on the day she disappeared, stating that he had dropped Katelin off. But police later discovered that his phone pinged close to his home, nowhere near the airport or the mall. The stepfather also said he had to work that day at 3 pm, but it was later discovered that he never showed up to work that day.

The mall where Katelin was reportedly dropped off doesn’t have surveillance cameras, and investigators have been unable to confirm that Katelin ever made it to either the mall, the metro or the airport. Authorities say there’s no evidence that Katelin ever left Spotsylvania County at all.

The last confirmed sighting of Katelin was at her stepfather’s home. He refused to cooperate with the police, would not take a polygraph test, and would not let them look at his phone.

No one has been charged in connection with Katelin’s disappearance; the investigation is ongoing. Her loved ones say it’s uncharacteristic of her to go missing without warning. Authorities suspect foul play, and don’t think she left on her own accord.

Katelin is described as a white female, 5’4″, 122 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her loved ones say she may be wearing a dark gray fleece pullover sweater with a Bass Pro Shop emblem on it, as well as pink and grey Vans brand shoes. Katelin has a tattoo of butterflies on her left forearm and a tattoo of three red stars bursting on the top of her foot. Her nose, navel and the ride side of her lip are pierced.

Case information via NamUs, The Charley Project, Lostnmissing, True Crime Diva, Court Junkie & Missing Kids.

Investigating Agency

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Katelin Akens please contact the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office or the Spotsylvania Crime Stoppers:

• Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office
  (800) 928-5822 or (540)582-7115
• Spotsylvania Crime Stoppers
  (800) 928-5822

Resources & Further Information

Help Find Katelin Akens – Facebook
Katelin Akens – Websleuths thread #1
Katelin Akens – Websleuths thread #2
Katelin Michelle Akens Missing – Crimemagazine
Katelin Michelle Akens Missing Since 12/05/2015 – Mydeathspace

News & Media Links

Katelin Akens’ Disappearance Gets Renewed Attention – Fredricksburg (05/17)
Missing Teen’s Texts Conflict With Locations – Crimewatch (02/17)
Spotsylvania Teen Still Missing One Year Later – NBC12 (12/16)
Evidence Suggests Missing Woman Never Left County – NBC (12/16)
Family Searches for Missing 19 Year Old – WUSA (07/16)
Mystery Surrounds Missing Arizona Teen Katelin Akens – Dailymail (02/16)
Mystery Surrounds Arizona Teen Who Disappeared – Huffpo (02/16)
Katelin Akens Missing, Heather Ciccone Dead – People (12/15)
No Sign of Katelin Akens on Surveillance Video – Patch (12/15)
Katelin Akens’ Luggage Found Ditched After She Vanished – CBS (12/15)
What Happened to Katelin Akens? – Inquisitr (12/15)
Family, Volunteers Raise Awareness About Missing Teen – WTVR (12/15)
Va. Teen Goes After Leaving for DC Airport – Daily Caller (12/15)
Teen Missing After Leaving for Reagan Airport – WTOP (12/15)
Katelin Akens Vanishes on Way to Airport – NBC (12/15)
Missing Va. Teen Has Ties to Goshen – Goshen News (12/15)
Search on For Missing 19 Year Old – Washington Post (12/15)
Stepfather of Missing Teen Says He Dropped Her Off at Mall – WJLA (12/15)

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