She Vanished After Her Brother's Friend Claimed He Dropped Her Off At A Condemned House One Night

Kayla Berg has been missing for more than half of her life, and I'm sure you're wondering how that's even possible. Kayla was only 15 when she vanished on August 11th, 2009, and her mom, Hope, celebrated her 33rd birthday on August 29th of this year, sharing a photo of Kayla's niece (who was named after her) helping make a cake.

Kayla was a gifted and competitive gymnast who dreamed of being a choreographer when she grew up. She was on her school's dance team and enjoyed camping with her family. She was the kind of girl who was always there for her friends, and she had a heart of gold.

Hope had split up with Kayla's dad, Jimmy, but Kayla and her brother came and went between both of their houses whenever they pleased. Hope and Jimmy allowed their kids to have the freedom to spend as much time as they wanted with them.

On the evening of August 11th, Kayla was at her dad's house in Antigo, Wisconsin. Kayla phoned Hope that night, telling her that she would probably hang out with some of her friends.

Kayla's last words to her mom were that she loved her. Jimmy recalled hearing Kayla shout that she was going to head out, and she never returned home. Kayla's big brother got a phone call from her asking if she could attend a party with him, but he declined.

From there, her brother's friend, Kevin, picked her up at 8:45 p.m. so they could go for a drive. Kevin was close to Kayla's brother and ate dinner with their family.

He was considered a friend of their family; he was not a stranger at all. At around 9:30 p.m., Kayla and Kevin stopped by McDonald's to visit Kayla's friend at work.

Kevin later said that he gave Kayla a ride to her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Miguel's house in Wausau. Hope didn't approve of Kayla's relationship with him, as he was 4 years older and liked to throw parties.

However, Miguel stated that he never saw Kayla that night, and actually, he had moved to a new house, which Kayla knew about, as the place Kevin said he dropped her off at had been condemned.

So Hope found it suspicious that Kevin dropped Kayla off at Miguel's abandoned, old house with not a single person home. Hope has stated that Kayla is afraid of the dark, so it really made no sense that Kevin would leave her in the pitch-black at a condemned house.

Captain Duley, who has been looking into Kayla's disappearance from the start, also acknowledged that it was a red flag for Kevin to claim that he dropped Kayla off at a condemned house at night.

Hope reported Kayla missing six days later on August 17th, as there was miscommunication between her and Jimmy. Initially, Kayla was classified as a runaway, but 48 hours later, she was changed to missing.

Kevin's car was searched by police, but nothing came of it. The potato farm where Kevin worked and the property where his parents lived were searched as well, without any clues pointing to what happened to Kayla.

While Kevin was charged with reckless endangerment, a judge dropped that charge, citing a lack of evidence.

"People need to realize that there is still a girl [who] went missing 17 years ago, without a trace. No one's word but the last person seen with her," Hope wrote in a Facebook post.

"That being said, yes, I think he is lying. I think he knows exactly what happened to her, 'cause I feel he is responsible. We DO NOT KNOW if Kayla ever made it to Wausau that night! Nothing to confirm that except for Kevin's word!"

"Well, I don't believe anything he has said, maybe in the beginning, but sure as [heck] not now! I have felt this way for a long time now. It has been and will continue to be a struggle dealing with people [who] think they know everything about her case. Did I screw up? YES, I did! I live with that every single day: should have, what if I would have."

"These thoughts haunt me every single day/night. The pain will never go away! Kayla, I love and miss you so much, and I'm so sorry that I failed you. Someday I hope we will get the answers; I pray for that every single day! Until that time comes, I hope you know that I will never ever stop fighting, searching, and loving you."

Kayla's mom, Hope, is counting on someone coming forward one day to provide her with answers regarding what happened to Kayla.

Kayla is 5'2" and 108 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair. She has scars on her right shin and the right side of her nose. Her belly and ears are pierced.

The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for anyone who has information resulting in an arrest and conviction. If you know anything about Kayla's disappearance, please contact the Antigo Police Department at 715-627-6411.

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