Missing Person: Kayla Berg
Age at the time of disappearance: age 15
Date Last Seen: August 11, 2009
Location Last Seen: Near Oak Crest Drive in Parlow, Virginia visiting family.
Date Located: STILL MISSING
August 11, 2009 Kayla called her mom to check in with her and let her know that she was spending the day with her friend Natasha. They hung out at the park and then went to Natasha’s house with Natasha’s older brother and a guy named Jimmy. About 5:00 P.M. Natasha left for work while Kayla stayed and caught up with another one of Jimmy’s friends, 24 year old Kevin Kielcheski. They made plans to get together later that night. At 8:45 P.M. Kevin picked Kayla up from her grandmother’s house.
August 12, Kayla’s father noticed she didn’t come home. Her father called Kevin who told him he dropped Kayla off at a friend’s house.
August 13, 2009 Kayla’s mother Hope was worried she still hadn’t heard from Kayla in two days. When she checked her phone she saw that James tried to call her the day before. She thought that Kayla just disappeared like she had the week prior. Hope couldn’t get a hold of Kayla and called Kayla’s friends. One of her friends said that Kayla and Kevin visited her at McDonald’s on August 11 about 9:30 P.M. Kayla said she was going with Kevin to smoke marijuana and drive around, saying she would call her later that night, but never did. Hope then spoke with Jimmy who said that Kayla was staying with one of her friends and must not have gotten a hold of Hope yet.
August 15, 2009 Hope realized that Jimmy was misinformed on where Kayla was. Kevin sent a text to Hope who said he was going to drop off Kayla at Miguel’s house in Wausau but had no other information. Miguel told Hope that Kayla did not come to his house on August 11 and hasn’t seen Kayla in over a week.
August 17, 2009, Hope made an official missing persons report. She was listed as a runaway.
Police then spoke to James who insisted he dropped Kayla off at Miguel’s at about 10:30 P.M. It was common that Jimmy gave her rides. He said he pulled up to his house and there was no lights on in the house and it didn’t look lie anyone was home. He didn’t see her go in to the house and didn’t see anyone, and left anyway, heading home to Deerbrook, Wisconsin. Miguel however had moved, as the house he reportedly dropped her off at was deemed uninhabitable and they were forced to move. Kayla knew he didn’t live there the night she disappeared. The police searched the condemned house and found nothing.
James’ mother confirmed she saw him come home about midnight.
Three days later she was listed to endangered. She was now gone for nine days.
There were several searches, all with negative results.
October 26, 2009 Kevin had already lawyered up. He was charged with second-degree reckless endangerment because he left a child alone in an abandoned area without ensuring her security. He plead not guilty. August 8, 2011 the charges were dismissed for lack of evidence.
December 2009, both Kevin and Miguel’s cars were taken by police and tested. There was no evidence or traces of anything. However, when dogs brought cadaver dogs to multiple cars in a line up to test for the scent of a cadaver, the dogs hit on Kevin’s vehicle. No proof, no charges.
Kevin’s cell phone records showed that he did speak with Kayla before he picked her up, but after 9:00 P.M. the night of her disappearance, his phone was either out of batteries or shut off, not used again until 2:00 P.M. the next day.
Miguel’s phone was clear, but he had an old cell phone which pinged off a tower in Lincoln County about forty miles north of Wasau the night she disappeared. Two calls were made, but when they searched near that tower, there were again negative results. When police wanted to interview him again, he declined.
Detectives have followed leads across the nation, also with negative results.
Then on October 8, 2016 the unimaginable happened. A video on YouTube went public by a man that portrayed himself to hold a girl captive and tied up in a bathroom. The girl was seen on the video for seconds, and it was all too questionable that it could have been in fact Kayla. The FBI and other agencies got involved and tracked down the persons who created this video. It would take three days for answers to come while the family suffered believing it could have been Kayla. Instead, it was all a hoax. They acted out the entire video with the girl actually being the video creator’s girlfriend.
Today, Kayla is still missing. Miguel is named the person of interest for law enforcement. Kevin was not charged and is not named a suspect. There is no evidence of foul play. Detectives continue to follow any leads. Kayla’s father has since passed away.
If you have any information on Kayla’s disappearance or whereabouts please contact the Antigo Police Department at (715) 627-6411. The FBI put out a $20,000 Reward leading to her location.
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