This case is so sad. I just wanted to speak up a little re: the actions of Belton PD. First, I know a lot of people had suspicions about them asking Kara's family to drop his pending misdemeanor charges, but I can understand the strategy in doing this. They wanted KY to talk to them about Kara--an endangered missing and possibly murdered person is a much more serious situation than the pending misdemeanor charges he was facing. But he almost certainly had a lawyer appointed on the pending case which meant the cops would not be able to talk to him about Kara's disappearance. I have seen similar things like this done in other cases. It can be a good investigative strategy, especially if a life is potentially hanging in the balance. Just saying that as someone who works in the criminal justice system, this does not appear suspicious to me that Belton PD would do this. Furthermore, a decision on actually dropping the charges would have to be made by the prosecuting attorney, no matter what the police or family wanted. This decision would have to go through the prosecutor, and again, that makes sense that they would be willing to drop a couple misdemeanors if police thought it was urgent to be able to speak with that person in connection with an endangered missing person.
Also, as much as it seems like everything is clear, and KY is the obvious perpetrator, LE has to think about actually proving a case beyond a reasonable doubt, and getting a conviction. And while yes, murder convictions have been made without a body, they are extremely difficult. And they are often not made for years after the disappearance. For all we know, police have wanted to make an arrest, but a prosecutor has turned them down, and said there's just not enough right now. Imagine how authorities would feel if they arrested KY, then lost the case because there just wasn't enough evidence to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, and then a year or two later, they find her body, along with physical evidence connecting KY to the crime. They would be stuck, unable to prosecute him ever again, all because they didn't wait that one or two years more.
I hope Kara is found, for the sake of her family. I can't imagine what they are going through. But more than anything, I want the authorities to be able to arrest AND CONVICT the person who did this. Kara deserves justice. And justice somewhat delayed is better than justice completely denied.
uke: