Investigators recover body during search for missing Collin County woman
Authorities in Grand Prairie found a woman’s body Wednesday afternoon, and the Collin County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Rangers recovered the remains.
Sheriff’s investigators believe the body may be that of Kayla Kelley, a 33-year-old Collin County woman who went missing Jan. 11, Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV reported.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office did not immediately reply to a Star-Telegram request for information Wednesday night. In a tweet, the sheriff’s office confirmed the remains were found in a field. An autopsy will be conducted and the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office will identify the person whose body was found, the sheriff’s office said.
Sheriff’s deputies have arrested Ocastor Ferguson, 32. Ferguson’s house is about a mile away from the site where authorities found the body, near Prairie Oak Boulevard and Hollow Drive.
Kelley went missing after she found out Ferguson had been dating her under a fake name, telling her his name was Kevin Brown, and she found out that he is married, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. While authorities were searching for Kelley, police in Frisco discovered her car burned on a deserted county road.
Ferguson’s car was reported stolen by his wife and police said they found it parked near Kelley’s McKinney home. There were gloves, duct tape and a blanket inside his car, KDFW-TV reported.
Kelley’s friends said that, while she was reported missing Jan. 11, they hadn’t seen her in days, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Ferguson was arrested on a charge of kidnapping during the investigation and was being held on $1 million bond. He also has been charged with arson in connection with the burned car. He has not been charged in connection Kelley’s death but those charges could be filed once the body is identified.
Ferguson has denied that he know what happened to Kelley, according to police.
This story was originally published January 18, 2023 at 9:48 PM.