Kayleah Wilson Disappeared Sunday Walking to a Birthday Party

March 31, 2010 — -- A 12-year-old girl who was last seen leaving for a friend's birthday party has vanished, leaving her mother and investigators stumped as to where she might be.

"We do not believe Kayleah ran away. There is nothing to indicate she did," said Sgt. Joe Tymkowych, a Greeley Police spokesman. "We just haven't been able to come up with anything that indicates what may have happened."

When Kayleah Wilson of Greeley, Colo., didn't come home Sunday evening from a birthday party that was supposed to end by 7 p.m. her mother, April Wilson, became worried.

She also never arrived at the party, police said.

"She's never run away before," said Wilson. "I am worried she may be in danger because none of her friends have seen her, and it is like she just vanished, but that's not possible."

Kayleah, who is in sixth grade at Brentwood Middle School, was last seen wearing a white-and-pink shirt over a white tank top, blue jeans and white and red shoes. She is described as being 5 feet 1 inch, and approximately 145 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair.

Wilson said her daughter left at 3:40 p.m. Sunday for the party, which was just a few blocks away.

"She walked over to the couch and said, 'I love you,' and 'I'll be home by 7,' and she walked out the door and that was it," said Wilson. "She had been talking about the party. She was really looking forward to it."

Tymkowych said that since Kayleah was reported missing Sunday evening the search has taken over his police force.

"We have about 25 people out on the ground searches and recanvassing the areas where she was last seen," said Tymkowych. "We are reinterviewing a lot of the key figures in the investigation as well."

Tymkowych said that dogs had been used in the investigation initially but proved unsuccessful. He said that investigators working the case do not believe Kayleah had any problems with drugs or alcohol, and have not found anyone who may have wanted to harm her.

Kayleah Wilson Disappears From Her Colorado Neighborhood

"We have no evidence that there was any foul play," he said. "At this point, everything is still a question mark for us."

The eight-block area where Kayleah would have walked to get to the party is well-populated and safe, according to authorities, who are still looking alongisde a busy highway that runs behind her home.

Even so, Wilson said that she had no concern about her daughter walking alone and that the neighborhood is not dangerous.

"We all walk everywhere, we don't even have a car," said Wilson. "It's not a bad neighborhood."

Wilson describes her daughter as "loving" and "trusting," and said that she's always been well-behaved, except for a recent incident involving an older boyfriend.

According to Wilson, Kayleah had been seriously involved with a 17-year-old who was friends with her older brother, but the couple had broken up a few months ago.

Other than that, Wilson said her daughter is a typical preteen who has a crush on one of the singers from the folk band Celtic Thunder.

On the morning of the day she disappeared, Wilson said her daughter had gone to church with her and had been happy during a lunch at a local restaurant with her grandmother.

"I just want everyone to help find her. I don't care if you're in this state or in another country, just help," said Wilson.