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Katelin Akens Update: Evidence Found In Missing Woman’s Luggage

By Chelsea Hoffman
Published on: 08:18 PST, Dec 9, 2015

The search for Katelin Akens has produced some new leads, but authorities in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, are not clarifying on what those leads are. WUSA 9 News reports that evidence has been obtained from luggage belonging to the woman, which was found abandoned in a drainage ditch. What happened to this missing woman, and are authorities close to finding her?

When Katelin Akens was last seen, she was being dropped off by her stepfather at a Metro station, where she was supposed to travel to the airport to catch a flight to Arizona. However, she never made that flight, and hasn’t been seen or heard from since her stepfather reportedly dropped her off. A text was reportedly sent from her phone after she was dropped off, indicating that she was at the airport to board her flight. However, it’s not known if she is actually the person to send the text, or if someone else sent it from her phone. Currently, investigators are working on finding where the text was sent from, geographically, to determine whether or not it is evidence behind what happened to her.

The fact that the missing woman’s stepfather was last to see and talk to her has sparked some speculation on social media and crime case forums like Websleuths. However, authorities have confirmed that Katelin Akens’ stepfather is not a person of interest or a suspect in her disappearance. Furthermore, authorities have stated that surveillance footage obtained from cameras in the area where she was dropped off has corroborated with the statements given by her stepfather. More speculation surrounding the disappearance of Katelin Akens surrounds the murder of Spotsylvania woman Heather Ciccone, who was found shot dead in her own car on Monday morning.

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST! This young lady, Katelin Akens is a cousin of mine. Due to her being raised out of state, I have…

Posted by Jule Gallion on Wednesday, December 9, 2015

The Huffington Post reports that locals in the area are on edge, with some people commenting that there may be a serial killer in the area, preying on young pretty women. The suspicious circumstances and timeline of the two cases have led some people to speculate that they could be related. However, authorities have confirmed through multiple reports that the disappearance of Katelin Akens and the murder of Heather Ciccone are in no way connected to one another.

Even though authorities have declared no known connections between Katelin’s and Heather’s cases, residents do have reason to be uneasy. The area has been home to at least one serial killer, including Richard Marc Evonitz, who was accused of killing three different girls in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. The man eventually committed suicide in 2002. The state of Virginia is no stranger to serial killer activity, in general, with such notorious names as the Briley Brothers, Timothy Wilson Spencer, and the elusive Colonial Parkway Killer on the list. However, none of these examples mean, in any way, that either of these Virginia girls are victims of a career predator.

Katelin Akens is 19-years-old, standing at 5’4? and about 129 lbs. She has blonde hair, blue eyes and multiple tattoos. If you know anything about this missing woman’s disappearance, you are encouraged to call the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office. As for the evidence reportedly found in her luggage, authorities are not clarifying on what was found, nor are they sharing any information about the leads they are currently investigating.

[Image via Spotsylvania Co. Sheriff handout]

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