This Michigan Mother Vanished In 2022, And Her Former Boyfriend Has Since Been Charged With Her Murder, But Investigators Are Still Seeking Tips To Aid Her Discovery
In 2022, 35-year-old Heather Kelley was living in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with her eight children. But, on December 10, 2022, she left her residence at about 9:00 p.m. and subsequently disappeared.
She did contact her family one more time before she vanished. At 10:20 p.m. that evening, she called her children and reportedly claimed she would be home soon.
However, she was last captured on surveillance footage outside of a business located in Comstock Township and was never seen or heard from again.
The next day, December 11, her truck was discovered abandoned in Comstock Township, near the intersection of Sprinkle Road and East Michigan Avenue. Her car was approximately three miles away from the business where she was last seen.
Once Heather was reported missing and an investigation was launched, Michigan State Police spent days using a helicopter to search the wooded area surrounding where Heather’s truck was found. Then, a press conference was held on December 19, and investigators revealed evidence suggesting foul play was discovered in her truck.
Authorities also claimed that a person of interest in Heather’s case was being held, but due to an unrelated charge.
Exactly what evidence was found in Heather’s truck has not been made public. Rather, investigators underscored how they are still hoping any community members with tips may come forward.
About a month later, on January 13, 2023, dive teams were deployed to search near Sprinkle Road after authorities received a tip regarding Heather’s disappearance. Additionally, at that time, the Sheriff’s Office stated the person of interest in her case was still in custody.
But, it wasn’t until February 8, 2023, that more information came to light for community members. That day, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office claimed that Heather’s disappearance was actually being investigated as a homicide. Then, that same month, the person of interest in her case was publicly identified as Carlos, Heather’s boyfriend.
Facebook – pictured above is Heather
He was reportedly on probation leading up to Heather’s disappearance, and the day after she vanished, he left his residence without permission.
According to his GPS tether, Carlos was working at the Park Club as a busboy on the day Heather disappeared. However, at 9:30 p.m. that night, the tether ultimately went dead.
Then, Carlos did not return to his probation home until approximately 2:45 a.m. At that point, witnesses reportedly claimed there were deep scratches on both his back and chest.
Around half a mile away from Heather’s abandoned truck, investigators found articles of clothing – including a durag and a pair of jeans – that contained both Heather’s and Carlos’ DNA.
The public also learned that, after Carlos was interviewed by authorities on the evening Heather disappeared, he was caught on surveillance footage cutting off his GPS tether at the Kalamazoo Probation Enhancement Program (KPEP). Afterward, he reportedly escaped via an emergency exit.
Carlos was arrested, and on January 12, 2024, he was ultimately sentenced to 14 months behind bars due to a federal escape charge. That same month, prosecutors also announced that he would be charged with Heather’s murder.
“Carlos Watts poses a tremendous threat to our community. While finishing his sentence at a halfway house for drug trafficking and pressing a firearm, Mr. Watts cut his tether, fled the facility, and has since been charged with the murder of his former girlfriend. My office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe and hold criminals accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten in a statement.
However, Heather’s remains still have not been found.
Her loved ones have created a Facebook page entitled Help Us Find Heather Kelley to raise awareness about her case and encourage community members to come forward with tips. According to the page, there is also a $25,000 reward being offered for information that leads to her discovery.
At the time she vanished, Heather was five foot ten, weighed 130 pounds, and had blonde hair and brown eyes. She also had various tattoos, including a dream catcher on her left forearm and a rose and a lion on her right forearm.
If you have any information regarding her disappearance, you are urged to contact the Kalamazoo County Central Dispatch at (269) 488-8911.
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