Found Deceased KY - Makayla Collett, 21, Hyden, 24 Oct 2020

[Knox]

HYDEN, Ky. (WYMT) - A woman from Leslie County has been reported missing.

The last day friends and family saw 21-year-old Makayla Collett was October 24th. She was last seen on Middle Fork Road in Leslie County.

"Baby girl mommy loves you so much and I need you to come home. Please let somebody know that you’re okay. " Makayla’s mother Marissa Nantz said.

For Lindsey Collett , Makayla’s close friend, she feels like her efforts on Facebook have not been enough.

“I was thinking about trying to get people to go and help me look for her here soon because it’s almost been a month and that’s not like her at all. She has a son and I don’t think she’d stay away this long.” Lindsey Collett said.
Kentucky State Police looking for missing person from Leslie County

 

[Knox]

Makayla's Facebook Page - Makayla Collett

 

[PommyMommy]

Who does she live with, if anyone? Her Facebook says she works at Walmart - I wonder if that is current? 9 days between the time she was last seen and reported missing... MOO

KSP searching for woman missing since October - ABC 36 News


KSP looking for missing woman in Leslie County
Troopers with Kentucky State Police say they received the missing person’s report November 2nd.

 

[rainynights]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Missing Person / NamUs #MP75588
Makayla Collett



Date of Last Contact: October 24, 2020
Missing From: Hyden, Kentucky

Demographics
Missing Age: 21 Years
Current Age: 21 Years
First Name: Makayla
Middle Name: --
Last Name: Collett
Nickname/Alias: --
Sex: Female
Height: 5' 8" (68 Inches)
Weight: 150 lbs
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Last Known Location
Location: Hyden, Kentucky
County: Leslie County
Circumstances of Disappearance: Has not been in contact with family since 10/23/2020.

Physical Description
Hair Color: Brown
Head Hair Description: Long
Left Eye Color: Brown
Right Eye Color: Brown

Distinctive Physical Features
Teeth are decayed.

Contacts / Investigating Agencies

CASE OWNER
Kentucky State Police
Address: 100 Justice Drive Hazard, Kentucky 41701
County: Perry County
Main Phone: (606) 435-6069
Agency Case Number: 13-20-0566

 

[Knox]

No media updates

 

[kelsie]

She appears to be a very loved person. Lots of people searching for her.

 

[Vail]

I noticed on Makayla's Facebook page that her friend Taylor died a few weeks before Makayla disappeared. Makayla tagged her memorial post # justicefortaylor which is only interesting if there could be a potential link (drugs, etc). I was not able to find any info on Taylor to really shed any light on that but maybe the family can explore that if they haven't considered it.

 

[StrangeOne]

I've been watching this area because of some body dumps and other missing people in the surrounding counties. I wonder if they are connected.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

The two I posted above were into pain pills but I am not sure if Makayla was or not to be honest.

 

[Unsolved]

mlhenn posted this article in the Robert Estep thread, but since Makayla is also mentioned in this article (as a possibility of 5 people to be ruled our after a skull was found) I thought I'd bring it over here too:

<snipped and BBM>
"Due to proximity of the location, the remains may belong to the first person reported missing in Clay County over the last five years.

In the spring of 2016, Angela Smith, 30, a resident of Little Creek, was last seen on Easter at her home. Smith’s home was in the vicinity of the location where the remains were found.

A few months later Cecil Burkhart, 30, was reported missing from the Teges Creek area at Oneida.

Four years later on October 22, 2020, David Campbell, 49, of Big Creek, was last seen walking on the roadway near his home.

Two days later, 21-year-old Makayla Collett, was reported missing from the Middle Fork area of Leslie County on Ky. 66 at Red Bird.

On December 15, 2020, Robert “Bob” Estep, 69, left his home to go deer hunting off Ky. 149 at Hector and was never heard from again.

Coroner gives update on human remains found

 

[dotr]

1 Aug 2021
Six missing person cases; police searching for answers
''Investigators are still waiting patiently on the identities of two skulls found over four months ago in Clay County. Police feel the skulls may be linked to six missing persons cases.''

''At this time, no results for either skull have been returned and it may be up to a year, according to Becknell.''

"Since 2016, six people in Clay County and in the Red Bird area have been reported missing and never found.

On March 27, 2016, Angela Smith, 30, a resident of Little Creek, was reported missing and last seen on Easter at her home.

A few months later Cecil Burkhart, 30, was reported missing from the Teges Creek area at Oneida. Like Smith, he too was never heard from again.

The Enterprise also confirms on February 3, 2018, Steven Best, 38, of Beattyville, was reported missing and was last seen in the Red Bird community of Clay County. He too has never been found.

Two years later on October 22, 2020, David Campbell, 49, of Big Creek, was last seen walking on the roadway near his home. Two days later, 21-year-old Makayla Collett, was reported missing from the Middle Fork area of Leslie County on Ky. 66 at Red Bird.

On December 15, 2020, Robert “Bob” Estep, 69, left his home to go deer hunting off Ky. 149 at Hector and was never heard from again.

On March 6th, two people hunting for mushrooms found a skull located at a bridge on Ky. 66 at the Clay/Leslie line. That occurred after a flood and following a second flood only days later another skull was found on the riverbank at Gilbert’s Creek, just a few miles below the first skull’s location.''

 

[?!?]

CourtNet 2.0 (kycourts.net)

Two dates in January with Floyd County Court.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

MISSING: Leslie County, KY woman

 

[Kyjonesgal]

I have lived in the Perry county ky my entire life and I will be 40 in less than 2 weeks. I have not heard anything about some of the missing in that article. I am definitely going to look for any updates or information that is available around here. In my county i have an old friend who is missing and an acquaintance. I would like to know the circumstances around the disappearances.

 

[?!?]

I have lived in the Perry county ky my entire life and I will be 40 in less than 2 weeks. I have not heard anything about some of the missing in that article. I am definitely going to look for any updates or information that is available around here. In my county i have an old friend who is missing and an acquaintance. I would like to know the circumstances around the disappearances.

Please let us know what you find -- you are not the only one who would like to know!

 

[Unsolved]

I noticed on Makayla's Facebook page that her friend Taylor died a few weeks before Makayla disappeared.

Just as an additional note for this thread, I also noticed that "BH" (the father of Makayla's son Thayer) passed away only a month after Makayla went missing - he died on November 28, 2020 at age 25. Things that make you go "hmmm".

 

[TwinkieDefense]

Feb 16, 2022. Sad update. Found deceased. Sympathies to all loved ones.

[…]

A skull was found in Clay County last year after flooding, and, on Tuesday, the Coroner confirmed it was Collett’s.

‘She made the world turn’: Makayla Collett remembered

 

[YaYa_521]

Rest in peace, Makayla.

 

[PommyMommy]

Prayers for her family and loved ones, and especially for the little two year-old boy who will grow up without either of his parents. So very sad.

‘She made the world turn’: Makayla Collett remembered (wymt.com)
”Just months after she went missing, they found my big brother, Ben H, dead, the father of the child,” Chris said.

[...]

”They were the greatest parents ever. Makayla done everything she could, and my brother done everything he could. Couldn’t ask for a better father than my brother or a better mother than Makayla,” Hoskins added.

[...]

Rest peacefully, Makayla and Ben.

 

[CloverBee75]

KSP uses DNA technology to solve cold case, identify missing EKY woman

The ANDE Rapid DNA Identification System helped police positively identify a woman who went missing in 2020.

www.wymt.com

HELTON, Ky. (WYMT) - On Monday, Kentucky State Police announced a cold case from 2020 was solved with the help of DNA technology.

The ANDE Rapid DNA Identification System helped police positively identify a woman who went missing in 2020.

Makayla Collett went missing from Leslie County on October 24, 2020.

In 2021, unidentified human remains, including a skull, were found by police and tested with the DNA identification system, which led to a partial female DNA profile.

A KSP Forensic Scientist, Regina Wells, researched the case further and determined the remains were Collett’s.

“I found the missing person entry to Ms. Collett and noticed that she was missing from the adjacent county where the skull was found,” said Wells. “Makayla had physical characteristics consistent with characteristics noted on the skull during the evaluation at the medical examiner’s office.”

Collett’s family gave DNA samples to the lab that was doing the test, which led to the positive identification of the remains.

Copyright 2022 WYMT. All rights reserved.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Rapid DNA Identifies Woman Missing Since 2020

The Kentucky State Police (KSP) has utilized the ANDE Rapid DNA Identification System, a technology that generates DNA identification from forensic samples in less than two hours, to positively identify a woman who went missing in 2020.

www.forensicmag.com