Tuesday marks nearly a week since friends reported 33-year-old Kayla Kelley missing. While there is a person of interest in custody, the search continues for the North Texas woman.
Search One Rescue Team, a local nonprofit that helps law enforcement with lost and missing cases, said they were deployed twice on Friday and Monday to help with search efforts.
"Friday the agency that required our assistance was the Collin County Sheriff's Office and yesterday it was the Texas Rangers," said Paul Lake, founder and executive director for Search One Rescue Team.
He wouldn't go into detail on where they searched in order to protect the investigation, but said tips from the public are key to helping solve the puzzle.
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"Typically, especially in a profile similar to this one, that is where the final information will come from to solve the case, is someone who has seen something that maybe they didn't even know they saw or knew something they didn't realize was pertinent," explained Lake.
Kelley was reported missing on Jan. 11 after her friends said they hadn't heard from her for several days.
According to officials with the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, Kelley's vehicle was found in a "remote area" of Frisco but they have not located her.
The sheriff's office said 32-year-old Ocastor Ferguson, also known as Kevin Brown, has been identified as a person of interest in the case though they didn't elaborate any further on how he became part of the investigation or his connection to Kelley.
Investigators arrested Ferguson and accused him of kidnapping. He is currently being held at the Collin County Detention Center on a $1,000,000 bond. It's not clear if Ferguson has obtained an attorney.
The sheriff's department told NBC 5 on Tuesday that they are not releasing any other details about the case that could hinder the investigation. They added that anyone with information about Ferguson, including recent sightings or dealings with him, to reach out to investigators and share that information. They hope that some of that information may help in their search for Kelley.
Anyone with information regarding Kelley's whereabouts is asked to contact the Collin County Sheriff’s Office at 972-547-5100 or by texting 847411.
