Kayla Nicole Swanigan, 24: Went To Meet A Friend But Never Showed Up
*In 2019, it was confirmed that Kayla Swanigan was murdered, set on fire, and dumped near an abandoned Detroit residence. A DNA test confirmed the identity. You can read more about that here.*
Original Story:
Could domestic violence have turned deadly for a young mother? Police are trying to piece together what happened to Kayla Nicole Swanigan from Detroit, Michigan, who went missing in October 2018. Her aunt, Sabrina, told Fox 2 Detroit that the last time she saw Kayla, the 24-year-old had a black eye and was being shoved in a vehicle by her abusive boyfriend.
“She’s steady saying, ‘It’s okay auntie, it’s okay auntie,” Kayla’s aunt said. “But he’s steady shoving her in a car. It’s not okay, love if somebody is pushing you in a car.”
Sabrina also stated that Kayla’s relationship with her boyfriend was a volatile one, even escalating to an altercation where Kayla Nicole Swanigan shot him in the summer of 2018. The two would break up for short periods only to get back together.
“I’m fearing that he has killed her,” Sabrina said. “She shot him. What would you do if someone shot you and came back to you?”
On the day Kayla Nicole Swanigan disappeared, she was home in Detroit with her daughter and a friend. She left around 2:30 p.m., telling them that she was going to meet up with a male friend on the west side of the city. Police were able to talk to the man that Kayla was scheduled to meet, but he told them that she never showed up.
According to Sabrina, when she spoke to police, she was told that the boyfriend violated his parole and was on the run, but they were doing their best to find Kayla. Meanwhile, Kayla’s two young children are finding it difficult to adjust to their new lives without their mother.
“She went from being a loving child to now she’s whispering everything,” Sabrina said about Kayla’s daughter. “She won’t ask anyone to eat. She’s sitting in corners crying, ‘I want my mama, I want my mama.’ What can we do about that?”
Kayla Nicole Swanigan: What To Know
At the time of her disappearance, Kayla Nicole Swanigan was 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighed approximately 130 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black shirt, jeans, a blue denim jacket, and black and turquoise Champion gym shoes. She also has the name “ARAYLN” tattooed on her left arm.
“I miss her so much. If anyone knows anything, no matter how small how it is, come forward and speak up,” said her grandmother, Shyrell Harris.
“We grew up together. She’s like a best friend to me. You got all of us worried. Bring my cousin sister home to us, please,” said Daneca Harris.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Detroit Police Department at (313) 596-1800 or their local authorities. Crime Stoppers of Michigan has offered a cash reward of up to $2,500 for information that leads to Kayla’s location.
Please share this story regarding Kayla Nicole Swanigan to continue the conversation about her disappearance. She is our sister, and her life matters.
