The body of a Texas woman who disappeared after discovering her boyfriend was actually married and threatening to tell his wife about the relationship was found near the man’s home.
Kayla Kelley, 33, was found buried in a field less than a mile from the home of Ocastor Ferguson, 32, who she met online and had been dating for several months under the belief that his name was Kevin.
Ferguson was arrested on kidnapping charges a few days after Kelley’s car was found burned ‘beyond recognition’ in a remote part of Dallas suburb Frisco.
The affidavit for his arrest revealed that Ferguson, who was married, had been dating Kelley since summer 2022 under the fake name.
After discovering his real identity and marital status, Kelley messaged Ferguson threatening to tell his wife about his infidelity. She was reported missing soon after by her aunt and co-workers who said they hadn’t heard from her in days.
33 year-old Kayla Kelley was reported missing last week, after friends and family said they hadn’t heard from her in days. Her body was discovered on Wednesday in a shallow grave less than a mile away from the house of her boyfriend, soon after she threatened to reveal the relationship to his wife
The suspect, Ocastor Ferguson, had been dating Kelley under a fake name. Once she discovered his true identity – and marital status – she told friends she was going to ‘blackmail him’. Ferguson’s car was found near Kelley’s house, containing gloves, a blanket and duct tape
Kelley’s body was identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner on Wednesday. Neither the cause of death nor time of death have been released.
Ferguson remains in jail on kidnapping and arson charges, with further charges pending. ‘We believe the person responsible for her death is in custody,’ Sheriff Jim Skinner told WFAA, referring to Ferguson.
Phone records place Ferguson in the area of Kelley’s home as well as near the derelict street where her car was later discovered, on January 10 – the last time he reported seeing her, and during hours he originally claimed he was busy at work.
Ferguson and Kelley originally met online, where he was going by the name of Kevin.
He maintained this false identity throughout most of their relationship, telling investigators that he and Kelley would go to her residence and other locations to meet, but never to his home in Grand Prairie.
Upon finding out her longtime boyfriend ‘Kevin’ was in fact a married man named Ocastor, Kelley told her friends she was planning to blackmail him.
Pictured is the field where Kelley’s body was discovered. The cause of death and time of death have not been released, but the investigation is in progress
Police discovered Kelley’s car, burned ‘beyond recognition’, in a deserted road the day after she was reported missing
Pictured is the house where Ocastor Ferguson lived with his wife. Throughout their secret relationship, Kelley and Ferguson never met at his home, he told investigators, instead going to her home in Collin County, or other locations
Phone records show Ferguson leaving work after he claimed he was there all day, driving to Kelley’s neighborhood, then to where her car was found, and then returning home. Pictured is the Dallas suburb where both lived
Looking through Ferguson’s phone, investigators found text conversations between him and Kelley where she threatened to tell his wife about their relationship if he didn’t answer her.
Ferguson’s wife also told investigators that she had received a text from an unknown number on 4 January, asking to speak with her. She told police that she did not reply to the message.
Investigators were unable to obtain the phone number that sent the message, however, as Ferguson’s wife’s phone was broken at the time of the interview.
After learning about her boyfriend’s alternative identity, Kelley decided to tell his wife about their relationship, as text messages between her and Ferguson reveal
Ferguson has currently been charged with kidnapping and arson, but the discovery of Kelley’s body means further charges in her disappearance and death are pending
Kelley’s car was found burned in a way ‘inconsistent with a natural fire’ on a deserted country road the day after she was first reported missing.
Finding conversations between Kelley and Ferguson on the missing woman’s phone, police ran a background check on him, and discovered that his wife had recently reported their car as stolen.
The vehicle was eventually located near Kelley’s home in Collin County, with gloves, duct tape and a blanket found inside.
In an interview with police soon after, Ferguson acknowledged that he knew Kelley, and said that he last saw her on 10 January when she dropped him off at work around noon. She was then supposed to drop him off some lunch at 6pm, but never showed up.
According to the affidavit, Ferguson also told cops that his car was parked near Kelley’s house because he ‘was hiding it from his wife’.
Phone records confirmed half of Ferguson’s story. While he did head to work that day, he left soon after for his home in Grand Prairie. He then drove to an area near Kelley’s residence, as well as to the deserted road where her car was later found burned, before returning home.
In follow-up interview, Ferguson changed his story, denying that he was in the area where Kelley’s vehicle was found, but admitting that he was driving in that time period, with Kelley in the backseat. Yet, he maintained to police that he had no idea what happened to her.
Following the discovery of Kelley’s body, the Collin County Sheriff’s Office is working with the district attorney to determine further charges against Ferguson.
