IL IL - Kierra Coles, 27, pregnant, Chicago, 2 Oct 2018

[DexterMorgan]

The Southside Chicago would have noticed her that morning. Because she's a pretty girl with a good postal job in uniform thats pregnant.

So what are we missing here?

 

[DexterMorgan]

bbm I read in this thread that she called in sick a few days previously. Has anyone got a link for that?

Do you mean back to back consecutive days off? Or do you mean she was recently using her call offs periodically?

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

it sounded like several days back to back IMO (she's pregnant, I imagine she had some rough days?). But didn't really convince me that it was HER calling in on ANY of the days she allegedly called in sick.

 

[swanniee11]

I believe this is the interview that said she took 2 days off prior to missing

 

[KJ's Mamu]

The following is all complete and total speculation on my part.....

Perhaps wind of the affair and baby reached the wife? Assuming the boyfriend showed up for work on 10/3 giving him an alibi, could Kierra have spotted the wife of the boyfriend waiting for her near her car as she was leaving to go to work and turned around to avoid the confrontation? Perhaps the wife didn't know what Kierra looked like and then attempted to act like she wasn't Kierra by turning around and walking away? Perhaps the wife followed her on foot or in a vehicle, convinced her she just wanted to "talk" and it escalated to something else?

I know I've made quite a few assumptions....and it's probably pretty far-fetched. On the other hand and based on Kierra's relationship situation, it feels like the scenario makes some sense.

I truly hope that she was just overwhelmed and will return after taking a break....but my instincts are telling me something bad could have happened. Thinking of the family as they seek answers.

 

[HouseRules]

According to this link that outlines sick call out procedures, it is an automated system and you can actually use it without voice and only key pad responses. You would need the EIN to use it but my guess is that it's not a stretch to speculate that someone close to Kierra had access to this number. https://link.usps.com/2018/02/14/sick-call/

 

[jessarox]

According to this link that outlines sick call out procedures, it is an automated system and you can actually use it without voice and only key pad responses. You would need the EIN to use it but my guess is that it's not a stretch to speculate that someone close to Kierra had access to this number. https://link.usps.com/2018/02/14/sick-call/

This is accurate, my husband is a mail carrier and I've listened to him call in before. It is all automated and you can use a phone keypad to do it although most probably use the voice option. I wonder if they record the voice, if they do and it was used on her call, they could tell if it was actually her and/or if there was anyone in the background talking.

EIN is printed on your paystubs so it would be VERY easy to access. However, who would know that is a good question. I wonder if we should be looking for another USPS employee.

 

[jessarox]

Okay so looks like Kierra is a CCA (city carrier assistant) and hasn't been with the post office very long, only about 1.5 years (source). CCAs are overworked (60+ hours a week in most cities) and stressed out of their minds. My husband was a CCA for 2.5 years and he came close to quitting several times but he finally was converted recently to a full-time regular which means fewer hours, less stress, etc.

So her mom saying that she might have been stressed is definitely a possibility although in context of everything else, it's unlikely, IMO.

However, let's just explore the CCA angle a bit. There is a ton of pressure on CCAs to show up every day, even on days they aren't scheduled because USPS is chronically understaffed and even a few people calling in can throw off the whole day. So even if you call in or it's your day off, you might get called and/or texted by your supervisor a couple times begging you to come in. Holidays are non-existent for most CCAs. You come in to deliver Amazon packages. Same thing with Sundays. Many CCAs work 14 or more days straight with no time off. Their "non-service" day is often ripped from them minutes before they leave the day prior ("by the way, we need you to come in tomorrow").

If you do call in, anything under 3 days of absence typically goes unpunished however if there's a pattern (like calling in every Saturday) or if it's excessive, a supervisor might do a PDI (pre-disciplinary interview) where they ask you why you called in, etc. They try to trip you up and get you to admit you weren't really sick. If you do admit that or make them think you were lying, they can issue discipline ranging from a warning to suspension or worse if you've had a lot of discipline in the past.

Is it possible that she had a pattern of call-ins or was feeling very overwhelmed by work and just wanted to get away? Sure, it's absolutely possible. But it's not very likely. First of all, she's pregnant so she could easily go to her doctor and get medical restrictions put in place and/or doctor's notes for the days she called in. Second, there's the obvious part where she was wearing her uniform despite calling in. Now it's possible that she was only wearing the jacket which made it appear to be her uniform but after watching the video several times, I think it's her full uniform although I could be wrong. It kinda looks like she's wearing shorts or a skirt with leggings underneath.

 

[GraceG]

According to this link that outlines sick call out procedures, it is an automated system and you can actually use it without voice and only key pad responses. You would need the EIN to use it but my guess is that it's not a stretch to speculate that someone close to Kierra had access to this number. https://link.usps.com/2018/02/14/sick-call/

This is accurate, my husband is a mail carrier and I've listened to him call in before. It is all automated and you can use a phone keypad to do it although most probably use the voice option. I wonder if they record the voice, if they do and it was used on her call, they could tell if it was actually her and/or if there was anyone in the background talking.

EIN is printed on your paystubs so it would be VERY easy to access. However, who would know that is a good question. I wonder if we should be looking for another USPS employee.

Her boyfriend's photos on social media show him wearing a USPS uniform. She also likely has female friends she socializes with that she works with there as well.

 

[DexterMorgan]

When I call off sick. I don't duck and dodge with that leave a message automated system bull crap without doing it but actually making sure I speak to a live person as well. Jmo

But my main question is; Did all of her sick and vacation days run out?

And did she spend her last check?

 

[jessarox]

When I call off sick. I don't duck and dodge with that leave a message automated system bull crap without doing it but actually making sure I speak to a live person as well. Jmo

But my main question is; Did all of her sick and vacation days run out?

And did she spend her last check?

That's just how USPS deals with call-ins, it's not "duck and dodge," that's the system that they want employees to use. It allows employees to choose between sick leave, annual leave (vacation time) or unpaid leave when they call in as well. Supervisors just get a list of people who called in and they don't have to do any additional paperwork or anything. I think it's a good system, it also reduces the whole "oh but we really need you to come in today even though you're puking" crap that so many supervisors pull.

She wouldn't have sick leave as a CCA, she'd only have annual. CCAs have a mandatory annual 5-day break starting 5 days before their hire date anniversary where all their annual leave is paid out and they start fresh after the break (basically it's like they're fired and then rehired after 5 days). Her start date was in April and you can only earn a maximum of 4 hours per biweekly pay period so she'd probably have somewhere around 48 hours (6 days) of annual leave right now, assuming she hadn't taken any but she's likely used some of it by now for doctor's visits and such. But since she's pregnant, she also has FMLA coverage for those doctor visits.

I do wonder if she's spent her last check, that would be from the 5th. I'm sure that any activity in her bank account (aside from scheduled transactions, of course) would be checked out.

 

[Dénouement]

A neighbor’s surveillance video shows Coles dressed in her U.S. Postal Service uniform, heading to work on Oct. 2, WGN-TV reported. She passed her car and went across the street before disappearing out of the frame.

“She seen something that made her turn around that fast and cross the street and her car was on the other side of the street,” Dan Perkins, her mother’s boyfriend, said.

Officers did a well-being check at Coles’ apartment after her mother reported her missing.

Phillips said her daughter’s car has been parked outside her apartment for the past two weeks. She was able to gain access to the car, and she found Coles’ purse and cellphone inside. Her lunch bag was also found in the car, a family friend added.

The postal worker was last seen on surveillance video from outside her apartment in Chicago's South Side on Oct. 2. Police said she called out of work that morning saying she was sick, but was seen on the video wearing her uniform and her car was found outside her apartment.

Pregnant postal worker goes missing outside home, USPS offers $25K reward

Still no idea where she was if her home is supposed to be 81st and Vernon but she's on CCTV 82nd and Coles, the car was there because she 'passed her car' and the car has been outside her apartment since.


Where was she heading initially? Back to her apartment maybe? Does she live in two locations? Please again if anyone can help with Google maps and pinpointing where she was on the CCTV because it gives us an idea of where she could be now.

 

[Dénouement]

Video with family. Shows her car. According to this video foul play may now be involved




Anyone with information is asked to call 911, Chicago Police Special Victim Unit at 312-747-8274 (Case# JB-462998) or the Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 (Case# 2693502-WPV).

 

[Stunned]

it sounded like several days back to back IMO (she's pregnant, I imagine she had some rough days?). But didn't really convince me that it was HER calling in on ANY of the days she allegedly called in sick.

That was my thought also. Do they know it was her calling in?

 

[Stunned]

Anything on boyfriend yet. Might have missed it. Home with awful flu!

 

[Emi]

Foul play possible in missing pregnant postal worker case

Chicago police are now suspecting possible foul play in the case of a missing pregnant United States Postal Service worker.

Coles was last seen on surveillance video in her neighborhood on Oct. 2 dressed for work and walking past her car even though she had called out sick, ABC station WLS in Chicago reported.

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

"Foul Play Possible" $#@*&^% excuse me while I scream. ANYTHING is possible. Gone 16 days and LE is "NOW" suspecting foul play.

What a shame. LE let this family and this young woman down, and I don't say that lightly.

 

[chi123]

Not getting my hopes up for CPD to solve this one unfortunately. I live outside the city and the amount of unsolved homicides and missing cases here is absolutely astonishing. The clearance rate on homicides last year was 17%. Awful.

The fact that it took 2 weeks to even say maybe it's foul play pretty much sums it up.

 

[Mauge]

We've seen that before. LE saying they didn't suspect foul play, and then changing their minds (usually after finding the body).
The fact that they can't contact the baby's father is alarming to say the least. I pray she's found safe soon, and I really, REALLY hope I'm wrong, but I fear that someone did something to her.

 

[liltexans]

A lunch bag was found in her car, puzzling her loved ones.

Family and friends say someone near where Coles lives must have seen something that could help lead authorities to her whereabouts.

"We're not going to sit idly by and we're not going to rest until we find our sister," said Mack Julian, a member of the letter carriers union.

[...]

Chicago police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service have launched a joint investigation into her disappearance.

“This is so out of character for her, and we’re scared,” family friend Regina Kennedy said.

'We're scared:' Pregnant mail carrier missing, $28K reward offered for information