Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: May 4, 2007 from Belton, Missouri Classification: Endangered Missing Date Of Birth: February 17, 1990 Age: 17 years old Height and Weight: 5'5, 110 - 125 pounds Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Kopetsky's navel is pierced and her ears are double-pierced. She has a scar on her forehead. She frequently changes her hair color and some agencies give her hair color as red or blonde. Clothing/Jewelry Description: A white tank top and jeans.
Details of Disappearance
Kopetsky was last seen at Belton High School, in Belton, Missouri on May 4, 2007. She was a junior there at the time, and had an after-school job. She has never been heard from again. Authorities initially believed she had left of her own accord; she had a history of running away for a couple of days at a time. However, Kopetsky is now believed to be missing under suspicious circumstances. She has not accessed her bank account or her MySpace page since her disappearance, and the Motorola Razr cellular phone she always carries has been shut off. Kopetsky did not drive at the time of her disappearance, and she left her clothing, cigarettes, makeup, hair straightener, iPod, debit card and other personal belongings behind.There was a possible sighting of Kopestky in Louisburg, Kansas on May 17, thirteen days after her disappearance. She was accompanied by an unidentified man. A sketch of the man is posted below this case summary. Authorities have not determined that the girl seen in Louisburg was Kopetsky, but they would like to verify the sighting and identify the man.
Another teenager, Kelsey Ann Smith, disappeared from Overland Park, Kansas in June 2007. She was found murdered a couple of days later. There was speculation that Smith's and Kopetsky's cases were related; they disappeared not far apart from one another and were of similar age and appearance. However, a suspect was charged with Smith's murder and investigators decided her death and Kopetsky's disappearance are unrelated.
Kopetsky lived with her mother, stepfather and younger brother at the time of her disappearance. Her parents are divorced and her father lives in a nearby town. She smoked Marlboro Lights cigarettes and was occasionally truant from school at the time she went missing. Shortly before her disappearance, she had an argument with her occasional boyfriend and got an order of protection requiring him to stay away from her. The boyfriend has not been named as a suspect in her case, however.
Authorities stated there is no evidence of foul play in Kopetsky's case, but they do not believe she ran away from home. Her case remains unsolved.
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Above: Unidentified individual possibly seen with Kopetsky
Investigating Agency
Source Information
Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004.
Last updated May 10, 2008; two pictures added, details of disappearance updated.
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Belton Police Department
816-331-1500
The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children
America's Most Wanted
Crime Scene Kansas City
MySpace Page for Kara Kopetsky
The Kansas City Star
Missouri Missing