KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The boyfriend of a Portage mother who went missing in December escaped a halfway house to avoid murder charges, according to court documents.
Heather Kelley, a 35-year-old mother of eight children, went missing Dec. 10, 2022.
The U.S. District Attorney's Office says Carlos Vance Watts Jr. was imprisoned at the Kalamazoo Probation Enhancement Program (KPEP) on drug charges when he allegedly escaped on Dec. 12.
Watts reportedly used a pair of scissors, which he took from a staff member’s desk, to remove his ankle monitor.
Watts now faces a federal charge of escape.
Kalamazoo County deputies say Kelley phoned her children before she went missing, during which she said she would be back soon. Her abandoned car was found near Comstock Township the following day.
Deputies began investigating her disappearance as a homicide case after blood was discovered in the back seat of her car. Kelley’s clothes were also found near the car.
A person of interest was detained on Dec. 19, but authorities so far have not released that person's identity.
In the new filings in federal court, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten says his office has evidence that shows Watts was involved in Kelley's disappearance. Watts is not charged in her disappearance or death.
The sheriff’s office says whoever murdered Kelley might have had an accomplice.
“We know that it's likely somebody helped with the burning of the vehicle, and the possible destruction of other evidence,” investigators said. “So that person is also a person—or people—are also a focus of this investigation.”
According to the U.S. District Attorney, Watts met with his brother on Dec. 11, one day after Kelley's disappearance. Her vehicle was discovered three hours after that meeting. Police pulled his brother over on Dec. 13, finding evidence the government says could tie both men to Kelley's disappearance.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has offered a $20,000 reward in exchange for information leading authorities to Kelley’s whereabouts.
Kelley is described to be 5’8” tall with blond hair and brown eyes. She is usually known to wear a silver heart-shaped pendant.
Those with knowledge of Kelley's whereabouts are urged to connect with the sheriff's office by calling 269-383-8748, the Portage Department of Public Safety at 269-329-4567, your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
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