Several news outlets report that a married Texas man who was accused of kidnapping his missing girlfriend and setting fire to her abandoned car has now been charged with murder in relation to her passing.
According to the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, Kayla Kelley’s body was found on January 18 in a field in Grand Prairie, which is close to the home of the man she had been seeing, Ocaster Ferguson. Despite the fact that the cause of death is still being looked into, the police determined that her death was a homicide.
The 33-year-old woman was reported missing on January 11 by her friends and family after they had not heard from her in a few days, according to NBC 5.
According to detectives, Kelley was preparing to confront Ferguson before she disappeared after learning that he was purportedly married and using a phony name.
Authorities discovered Kelley’s car during the inquiry, which they say was dumped nearby her boyfriend’s workplace and “burned beyond recognition.” Ferguson, 32, was detained on January 14 and charged with kidnapping and arson.
He was also charged with murder last week.
Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner stated in a statement obtained by WFAA that “we dearly hoped for a different conclusion, but I’m glad for the dogged perseverance of my deputies and our Texas Rangers in discovering Ms. Kelley.”
According to reports, erguson and Kelley met online and started dating last summer. According to police records, he used the name “Kevin” with her because he didn’t want her to know who he really was. She informed pals she planned to confront him about his alleged lies about being married as well as his alleged use of a false name before she vanished.
Investigators discovered Ferguson and his wife had recently reported their Lexus stolen after Kelley went missing, and their car was later discovered nearby Kelley’s house with duct tape, gloves, and a blanket inside, according to ABC 8.
According to reports, the warrant also stated that Ferguson’s phone records showed he had been in the vicinity of Kelley’s house and the spot where her car was discovered.
The man claimed he last saw Kelley on January 10 when she left him off at work, according to an affidavit obtained by WFAA. He also claimed he had no knowledge of what had happened to Kelley. According to NBC 5, he also allegedly admitted to police that he was trying to hide his automobile from his wife by parking it close to Kelley’s house.
According to texts reviewed by police, Kelley threatened to inform Ferguson’s wife about her if he didn’t answer, according to WFAA.
Ferguson’s wife allegedly told detectives she had recently gotten a text message from an unidentified person suggesting they needed to tell her something, according to an arrest warrant acquired by NBC 5. According to reports, his wife did not reply but thought a woman had sent the SMS.
Ferguson is being held in Collin County Jail on a $1 million bond, multiple outlets report. It is not clear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf.