Kayleah Wilson was 12 when she left home in Greeley, Colorado to meet a friend at the mall and go to a birthday party on March 28, 2010. She did not return by her 7:00 PM curfew and was reported missing at 10:00 PM. Investigators quickly ruled out runaway after learning she never met the friend or attended the party, triggering an extensive search that included local police, the FBI, and community volunteers.

On the morning of May 19, 2010 a worker found Kayleah’s body in an irrigation ditch less than a mile from her home. Her death was ruled a murder, though the condition of her remains prevented an immediate public disclosure of the cause of death. An 18-year-old, Robert Montoya, who had been in a relationship with Kayleah, was arrested the same day on sexual assault charges related to that relationship and later convicted; that conviction was appealed and eventually overturned, and the sexual assault charges were dropped in 2016. Montoya was considered a person of interest in Kayleah’s death but was never charged in the homicide.

Greeley police have said they believe they know who is responsible but have not secured enough evidence for a conviction. The case remains open and unsolved. If anyone has information about Kayleah’s final movements on March 28, 2010 or the area near her home, please come forward.