Case of Kayla Kelly: The medical examiner identified the body of a missing Collin County woman found in Grande Prairie.

GRAND PRAIRIE, TX – The search for a Collin County woman who went missing a week ago has come to a tragic end.

Authorities have confirmed that the woman’s body found in Grande Prairie is that of Kayla Kelly.

Investigators found the body in a shallow grave in the wooded area of ​​Grand Prairie on Wednesday afternoon, near Kingswood Boulevard and Prairie Oak Boulevard.

Sharon Brown visited the site Thursday afternoon.

She brought flowers and two balloons, one of which she said was sent to Kelly.

“From one sister to another, I wanted to know that she is not alone, that we will remember her and send flowers to heaven in her name,” she explained.

As of Thursday evening, the Tarrant County medical examiner determined Kelly’s cause of death to be pending.

Authorities have not said what brought them to the Grande Prairie area, but the body of a 33-year-old woman was found less than a mile from Ocastor Ferguson’s home.

Ferguson is already in the Collin County Jail on kidnapping and arson charges, though he could face additional charges. His bail is currently set at $1 million.

“We have not yet reached the moment when decisions on the charges will be made. There is additional information that investigators and the Texas Rangers must provide. They will continue to work together to investigate this murder,” said Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner.

Kelly was first reported missing by her friends on January 11.

The positive identification of Kelly’s body ended more than a week of searching for Kelly.

Court documents say Kelly and Ferguson were in a relationship and she only recently found out he was married and gave her a fake name. She reportedly threatened to tell his wife about the affair.

Investigators found Kelly’s burnt-out car on a back road in Frisco with no sign of Kelly. Hence the charge of arson for Ferguson.

They said they had proof that Ferguson was the last one with her.

“Let me say that this is a real tragedy. We were hoping for a different outcome. Like her family, we were devastated when we ended up finding her body,” Skinner said.

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While law enforcement is reluctant to share many other details of the case, they said they were far from done with their investigation.

“While we desperately hoped for a different outcome, I am grateful for the stubborn determination of my deputies and our Texas Rangers in the search for Ms. Kelly,” Skinner said. “Make no mistake, if you kill a 33-year-old woman and place her in a shallow grave, we will seek justice.”

The sheriff’s office indicated that we can learn more from additional court documents, and some of them may become known if additional charges are filed.