Heather Mae Kelley was last seen on Dec. 10, 2022, and later told her children on the phone that she would be home soon, authorities previously said. She never returned. Now investigators are looking into her disappearance as a homicide. (Image: Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office)
The FBI is ramping up efforts to find a missing, presumed dead mother by offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to her body. Investigators previously said they discovered the blood of Heather Mae Kelley, 35, in her burned out vehicle.
“The FBI’s Detroit Field Office, along with the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office and the Portage Department of Public Safety in Michigan, is requesting the public’s help in locating a missing person,” the FBI wrote on Friday. “Heather Mae Kelley is a resident of the City of Portage, Michigan, and has been missing since December 10, 2022. There is evidence to suggest that she may have been the victim of a homicide.”
The #FBI is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the location of Heather Mae Kelley of Portage, MI. SSRA Ellis joined the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office and Portage DPS for an @ABC interview about the case. Read here: https://t.co/LG77MipQ55 pic.twitter.com/nWvXG635c7
— FBI Detroit (@FBIDetroit) March 31, 2023
Investigators previously said Kelley was last seen Dec. 10, 2022, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She told her children through the phone that she would return home, but she never did, officials said. Her vehicle was found burned the next day.
“Kelley told family she was on her way to pick up an acquaintance in downtown Kalamazoo and was last seen on 12/10/2022 at approximately 2130 hours,” NamUs wrote. “She has not been seen or heard from since and her vehicle was found abandoned in Comstock Township.”
Authorities did not initially name any person of interest in the case, but WOOD noted that Kelley’s boyfriend allegedly went AWOL from Kalamazoo’s probation program on Dec. 11. He was accused of getting rid of his GPS tether, but he got arrested three days later.
The boyfriend reportedly wrote his federal judge that he fled because one of Kelley’s brothers texted him death threats, including pictures of an AR-15. The man said he made a report with police. Cops refused WOOD’s FOIA request, saying there’s an ongoing investigation. Kelley’s brother denied to the outlet that he threatened the boyfriend.
Authorities accused the boyfriend of lying to them about when he was with Kelley. He allegedly said she dropped him off at the probation program, the Kalamazoo Probation Enhancement Program, in the the afternoon of Dec. 10. Phone records and his GPS tether showed they were at The Park Club, where he worked as a busboy, that night. His phone was switched off after that but tracked near there Kelley’s car was found, officials said. The tether was off the night of Dec. 10, and it was switched back on the following morning, authorities claimed.
The FBI asks that anyone with information call the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office at 269-383-8748 or the Portage Department of Public Safety at 269-329-4567.
“You may also contact your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or you can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov,” they wrote.
The FBI describes Kelley as white, having brown eyes and blond hair, and weighing 125 pounds,
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$20,000 reward in Heather Mae Kelley case