Katharina Buczek
Kelley Brannon was an artist, musician, and activist known as a free spirit who marched to the beat of her own drum.
She grew up in New Hampshire, and following high school graduation, she hitchhiked across the country. She went on to pursue higher education, earning a bachelor’s degree in arts and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing.
Kelley would sell her drawings on the internet and even created a one-woman punk band. She would perform wherever she could, whether that was in small bars, at house parties, or even on the street.
According to her friends, she was a dedicated activist as well. Kelley was reportedly at the forefront of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
She lived in New York City for nearly a decade, but eventually, she made her way to Florida. It was in the Sunshine State that she met her boyfriend, Eddie.
The pair had a tumultuous relationship with domestic violence issues. In 2019, Eddie was arrested the day after Christmas in Gainesville, Florida, for allegedly hitting Kelley in the face.
Leading up to 36-year-old Kelley’s disappearance, she and Eddie lived on a Micanopy, Florida, farm. But in July 2020, they decided to embark on a road trip to Detroit, Michigan, where they planned to buy a fixer-upper home and start fresh.
So, on July 9 of that year, they packed up their separate cars with their belongings, eight chickens, and Eddie’s dog. Then, they started traveling up Interstate 75.
Kelley and Eddie didn’t get far before Eddie’s vehicle, a Toyota pickup truck, broke down. The transmission had overheated, and they were forced to stay in Live Oak, Florida while waiting for the car to be repaired.
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