MO MO - Kara Kopetsky, 17, Belton, 4 May 2007 - #1

[txsvicki]

I can't believe the LE would have thought that any girl who looked like Kara would willingly run away with any guy who looked like the guy in the sketch or anyone who looks like edwin hall. She may have been with him at a fast food place, but not be interested in him as a boyfriend. No way.

 

[SuziQ]

I can't believe the LE would have thought that any girl who looked like Kara would willingly run away with any guy who looked like the guy in the sketch or anyone who looks like edwin hall. She may have been with him at a fast food place, but not be interested in him as a boyfriend. No way.

As irritated as I am with how LE handled this case in the beginning. It's standard op procedure for them. It's not right. And hopefully that will change. Can you imagine her parents frustration? The cases that really get me are the 11-12 year olds that are labeled runaways. Runaway to where for crying out loud? Either I'm getting old or 11-12 year olds are more street saavy than they used to be.

 

[strach304]

I can now see the resemblance where I couldn't before. The steps that the artist goes through for each individual thing combined with the persons recollection of detail in those new illustrations make me think it's him. The overall ending result is what I saw before and thought there was no resembance. They got the eyebrows spot on, chin and lips almost identical, nose is pretty close too. If you think about how they come up with these by witnesses saying the nose is wider, eyebrows higher, etc. the individual characteristics do match.

 

[strach304]

I have a few questions from recent posts that I hope someone can answer because what I thought doesn't seem to be right. TIA

1. Did Kara's mother bring her a book at school and called her later to ask her Mom to wash her uniform?

2. Was it her cell phone, bank card or both left in her locker?

 

[Reannan]

I understand that Kara called her Mom from school and asked her to bring her a book, and I thought her uniform for work after school. Not clear is she used her cell phone or the school phone to call. A lot of schools do not allow studets to use their cell phones during school. I remember reading that Kara's Mom took her the book, but I don't recall hearing what she did with the uniform. The book was left at the school office and Kara came up and picked it up the next chance she got. The last confirmed sighting of Kara was security camera footage of her walking down the hallway after retrieving the book. Her bank card was left in her locker, I am not sure about where the cell phone is.

Txsvicki said something about Kara not being interested in a person like EH. In my opinion, her boyfriend that she had the restraining order against looks a LOT like EH, only her boyfriend had a pierced lip. I could easily see Kara being attracted to EH based on this fact.

 

[Monika30]

I understand that Kara called her Mom from school and asked her to bring her a book, and I thought her uniform for work after school. Not clear is she used her cell phone or the school phone to call. A lot of schools do not allow studets to use their cell phones during school. I remember reading that Kara's Mom took her the book, but I don't recall hearing what she did with the uniform. The book was left at the school office and Kara came up and picked it up the next chance she got. The last confirmed sighting of Kara was security camera footage of her walking down the hallway after retrieving the book. Her bank card was left in her locker, I am not sure about where the cell phone is.

Reannan,
From news articles and myspace comments left by a friend this is how I understand the morning she went missing:

She walked to school. Forgot her book. Called her Mom to bring the book as well as wash her work uniform for her shift that afterron at Popeyes. Mom left the book at the office and Kara picked up the book at some point.
No mention of uniform again but I assume Kara would go home after school to change into her uniform and go to work (I doubt she usually brought her uniform with her and went right after school to work).

Last used her cell phone at around 10:30. A friend says on his myspace comments that she called him and another friend looking to skip school. They told her something along the lines of 'f#$% off, don't skip classes'..
so she was actively looking to ditch classes that day.. she went outside to
smoke (she lists on her page that she is a smoker and her mother confirms this) and she is never seen again.

An interesting comment also made by the same friend as above was that Kara's boyfriend, Kylr Yust, has denied seeing Kara that day. The friend continued and agreed with another poster that Kylr is being 'shady'. I understand that Kylr has taken 2 polygraphs and I think he is pretty much not being seen as a suspect by LE. Still, some very disturbing events occurred between him and Kara just 8 days before she went missing.

If Edwin Hall had anything to do with this he was probably just trolling the high school for any cigarette break students he could lure. He might even had been watching the school for patterns and knew who the smokers were and when they were likely to leave for a smoke break. I'm just kind of stunned that Belton High School doesn't have cameras running to monitor the outside of the school.

 

[Monika30]

I found him earlier and read a bunch of his posts.

In that post, he wasn't saying she DID call anyone. He was refering to IF SHE HAD called in a hypothetical way. Doesn't mean anything and we know Kara didn't call anyone.

Sorry SS, but when I read that (which is what I was referring to in my previous post) it sounds to me like she DID call him and the other friend. Her phone was last used at that time. LE could easily confirm this by looking at who she called. I'm surprised they haven't released that information. The friend who wrote that is the myspace user named Pale Horse Davis. He was just on the local news there shown posting more fliers with a bunch of Kara's friends. They showed his real name. When I googled that he is not listed in any news article in reference to Kara. I'm not sure why he wouldn't have shared what he shared online with LE who in turn would have released that information by now.

 

[fran]

If I were Kara's family, I would try and form a mega-search party to search the vicinity of where they found Kelsey. They should plan a two day event. I bet many of the local businesses would donate water and sandwiches for searchers etc. Invite the media, all her classmates and their families to join. Put it out into the public of the event and get lots of people!

What is so sad is that so often LE takes a child from 12 to 18 that disappears and automatically they consider it a run-a-way. IMO, IF they'd looked at all the evidence here, they would have been able to tell Kara wasn't gone by choice.

She didn't withdraw any large sum from her ATM, she hasn't used her cell phone, she had plans for later in the day, she even left an entire carton of cigs at home. IF she had planned this, she would not have left these things behind.

Nah, I think she either went out to sneak a cigarette or maybe even ditched the rest of the day and someone (ah-hem!) was driving around looking for the right target. She may have been it.

JMHO
fran

 

[nanandjim]

If I were Kara's family, I would try and form a mega-search party to search the vicinity of where they found Kelsey...I think she either went out to sneak a cigarette or maybe even ditched the rest of the day and someone (ah-hem!) was driving around looking for the right target. She may have been it.

JMHO
fran

Fran - I totally agree. Now, that they have a possible area to search, they should take full advantage of it. If EH committed this crime, there is a very strong possibility that Kara is in this area, too. The only thing that bothers me about Kara is that I also suspect her ex-boyfriend. If Kara wanted to skip school and could find no one else to do so, perhaps, she got in touch with her boyfriend. Did the police say that he had a solid alibi?

In any case, I would be searching this park. There is no way that I believe that she ran away.

 

[SuziQ]

Sigh, I had not heard this before. Throws a chink into the whole case. I still believe though, that the fact even her friends haven't heard from her, her untouched bank account and other factors. Shows this girl is not a runaway....this time.

KMBC's Dan Weinbaum reported that what makes the case difficult is that Kopetsky has run away before. Since she is 17 years old, Kopetsky is considered somewhat of an adult if she took off on her own.

"They don't have enough evidence to call it a kidnapping, and they don't have enough to call it a runaway," Honeycutt said.

http://tinyurl.com/2bd3ps

 

[SuziQ]

AMW had Kara's case on it's show. That is such great news!

http://tinyurl.com/29arq8

 

[TGIRecovered]

Maybe Kara forgot her book on purpose.

When I bring something to school for one of my kids, the office usually calls the student to come to the office to get it. Maybe Kara used the book as an excuse to get out of class at a time when other students and teachers were not around to see when she left. If she were planning on being picked up by someone, the break between classes would have been too risky due to teachers and possibly campus security monitoring the walkways around the school.

This is not to imply that she intended to run away never to return home. She could easily have left with someone, thinking that they would return at the end of the day so that she could go to work and come home just as she would on a normal day and her parents would be none the wiser.

In my opinion, when any child is missing they should be actively searched for because they are in danger whether they intended to leave or not. Predators know that it is easier to take advantage of a troubled teen because any absence will be treated as a runaway case rather than an abduction. LE makes it easy for the predator by complaining that so many kids run away that they can't possibly search for all of them.

I believe that a parent's responsibility to protect their kids does not end when the child becomes a rebellious teen. If it's my kid missing no matter if they've run away or not, I'll be talking to every kid, teacher, parent and reporter I can find and camping out on the steps of the police station until pigs fly or I get my kid back!

Susan

 

[MissieMt]

Maybe Kara forgot her book on purpose.

When I bring something to school for one of my kids, the office usually calls the student to come to the office to get it. Maybe Kara used the book as an excuse to get out of class at a time when other students and teachers were not around to see when she left. If she were planning on being picked up by someone, the break between classes would have been too risky due to teachers and possibly campus security monitoring the walkways around the school.

This is not to imply that she intended to run away never to return home. She could easily have left with someone, thinking that they would return at the end of the day so that she could go to work and come home just as she would on a normal day and her parents would be none the wiser.

In my opinion, when any child is missing they should be actively searched for because they are in danger whether they intended to leave or not. Predators know that it is easier to take advantage of a troubled teen because any absence will be treated as a runaway case rather than an abduction. LE makes it easy for the predator by complaining that so many kids run away that they can't possibly search for all of them.

I believe that a parent's responsibility to protect their kids does not end when the child becomes a rebellious teen. If it's my kid missing no matter if they've run away or not, I'll be talking to every kid, teacher, parent and reporter I can find and camping out on the steps of the police station until pigs fly or I get my kid back!

Susan

:clap: :clap: :clap:

I agree that all cases should be looked into-and seriously. I think that the kids should be thoroughly searched for-and if it turns out they really have run away, then when they are found they should be in trouble with the law-not just a stern talking to by Mommy and Daddy. I think when we start taking running away seriously children will too.
On the other hand, from what I've read I get the impression that her family really did try to convince LE that she was not a runaway. Some who claim to be close to the family said the media refused to get involved in the story until LE released a statement.

 

[mom3dd]

I believe that a parent's responsibility to protect their kids does not end when the child becomes a rebellious teen. If it's my kid missing no matter if they've run away or not, I'll be talking to every kid, teacher, parent and reporter I can find and camping out on the steps of the police station until pigs fly or I get my kid back!

Susan[/QUOTE]
If you have not lived thru a rebellious teen in this day and time please do not judge parents who have. Pigs can fly easier than it is to control an out of control teen
If Kara ranaway great just let her parents know she is alive. There are confidential hotlines for runaway teens the number should be prominent on her fliers.

 

[mom3dd]

:clap: :clap: :clap:

I agree that all cases should be looked into-and seriously. I think that the kids should be thoroughly searched for-and if it turns out they really have run away, then when they are found they should be in trouble with the law-not just a stern talking to by Mommy and Daddy. I think when we start taking running away seriously children will too.
On the other hand, from what I've read I get the impression that her family really did try to convince LE that she was not a runaway. Some who claim to be close to the family said the media refused to get involved in the story until LE released a statement.

LE has to confirm the teen is a runaway or truly missing to news source and NCMEC. To many people trying to use and abuse the system. If the child has a history of running away your chances of LE doing anything drastically reduce. Which puts them at even more risk.

 

[fran]

LE has to confirm the teen is a runaway or truly missing to news source and NCMEC. To many people trying to use and abuse the system. If the child has a history of running away your chances of LE doing anything drastically reduce. Which puts them at even more risk.

What I don't understand is, though, IF she were running away, wouldn't she have taken her cell phone and debit card? Her cell phone was in her locker. I mean runaways need $$. Also, her mom, IIRC, went to work that day so Kara could have gone back home and gotten some clothes and that whole carton of cigaretts she left behind.

I would be willing to bet that when she ran away previously, her parents had clues it was 'runaway,' ie. missing clothes and $$ or even one of her friends telling their parents they knew she'd runaway but didn't know where she was.

Her parents knew this time was different. She had plans for AFTER school, which was work and calling her dad, yet she disappeared FROM school, never made it to work, didn't call her dad, left behind her cell phone, and left behind her debit card. She did NOT intend to runaway IMO.

Now, I know LE in one article said they're not sure this was a 'valid' sighting of Kara with the composite of the 'resemblance to Hall' guy. So, IF I were her parents and with what has happened to Kelsey and the proximity of where they found her, I would be having a major search in that area.

IF I were LE in any close by area, I would also be looking into any other crimes whereby a 'woman,' no matter the age or even if it were a disappearance from her home, be looked into and this Hall guy's whereabouts at the times of these crimes be looked into.

I'm tellin' ya, this is NOT this guy's first victim. Remember, his foster sister he attacked happened 11 years previously. He's been out of State custody for 8 years and lived in different states and cities. He was a predator waiting to pounce, IMHO.

JMHO
fran

 

[10EC_Dad]

What I don't understand is, though, IF she were running away, wouldn't she have taken her cell phone and debit card? Her cell phone was in her locker. I mean runaways need $$. Also, her mom, IIRC, went to work that day so Kara could have gone back home and gotten some clothes and that whole carton of cigaretts she left behind.

I would be willing to bet that when she ran away previously, her parents had clues it was 'runaway,' ie. missing clothes and $$ or even one of her friends telling their parents they knew she'd runaway but didn't know where she was.

Her parents knew this time was different. She had plans for AFTER school, which was work and calling her dad, yet she disappeared FROM school, never made it to work, didn't call her dad, left behind her cell phone, and left behind her debit card. She did NOT intend to runaway IMO.

Now, I know LE in one article said they're not sure this was a 'valid' sighting of Kara with the composite of the 'resemblance to Hall' guy. So, IF I were her parents and with what has happened to Kelsey and the proximity of where they found her, I would be having a major search in that area.

IF I were LE in any close by area, I would also be looking into any other crimes whereby a 'woman,' no matter the age or even if it were a disappearance from her home, be looked into and this Hall guy's whereabouts at the times of these crimes be looked into.

I'm tellin' ya, this is NOT this guy's first victim. Remember, his foster sister he attacked happened 11 years previously. He's been out of State custody for 8 years and lived in different states and cities. He was a predator waiting to pounce, IMHO.

JMHO
fran

I agree that it seems odd for her to run away and not take two of the most valuable things to a teenager: cell phone and $$$.

I could see a scenario where EH had met her online and maybe had gone by her work a few times. If what I read earlier today, that he had a teenage girlfriend as recently as a few years ago, it is very possible he was trying to "date" Kara.

Just my opinions on the matter.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Sorry SS, but when I read that (which is what I was referring to in my previous post) it sounds to me like she DID call him and the other friend. Her phone was last used at that time. LE could easily confirm this by looking at who she called. I'm surprised they haven't released that information. The friend who wrote that is the myspace user named Pale Horse Davis. He was just on the local news there shown posting more fliers with a bunch of Kara's friends. They showed his real name. When I googled that he is not listed in any news article in reference to Kara. I'm not sure why he wouldn't have shared what he shared online with LE who in turn would have released that information by now.

I went back and read it again. If you read the posts above his...you will see what he was trying to say is that IF she had called good friends...they would have given her good advice instead of encouraging her or going with her to ditch classes! (IMO that is what I honestly believe he is saying.) He did not say she actually called anyone. I believe LE would have released that info to the parents and others if they had indication she made such a call to her friends. I do not believe she called anyone except her mom that morning.

 

[MeoW333]

If she was a smoker, she definitely would have brought the carton of cigarettes she left in her room with her. Cell phones and ATM cards can both be traced. Yet for her to leave knowing she would have to buy cigarettes at places when she had a whole carton at home.. she wasn't trying to escape a bad home situation to our knowledge.. hopefully LE checks her computer. So many cases of these missing young women involve someone they met off of myspace.

 

[LionRun]

I believe she would definitely have taken her near full carton of cigarettes if she planned on running away. But, I also believe she might have taken her ATM card as well. Even if she realized and Knew the card could be traced, had she emptied her account of cash at a local location prior to anyone knowing she was gone, she probably also knew that video wouldn't be too useful in finding her.

Lion