This week, Ocastor Ferguson was charged with killing Kayla Kelley. New reports suggest that the killing followed Kelley’s alleged threats to blackmail Ferguson.
Ferguson, who is 32, is accused of murder, kidnapping, and arson after Kelley’s body was discovered earlier this month, as The Dallas Express previously reported.
Kelley allegedly told her friends she planned to blackmail Ferguson, who carried on a relationship with her though he is currently married, Fox 4 KDFW reported Tuesday.
Kelley’s body was found buried in a field in the 2800 block of Prairie Oak Boulevard, which is only one mile from Ferguson’s home. Ferguson was charged with murder after the body was discovered.
Kelley’s cause of death was not disclosed. The body was buried in a wooded area in a “clandestine grave,” according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. Calls to the medical examiner by The Dallas Express on Wednesday went unanswered.
Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner issued a statement thanking deputies and the Texas Rangers for locating Kelley’s body on Thursday, as The Dallas Express reported.
The Collin County Sheriff’s Office told The Dallas Express that there was no new information to report and the investigation is still ongoing.
Kelley was reported missing on January 11. On January 12, her car was discovered burned and abandoned. Ferguson was arrested two days later after cell phone records showed he had visited the area where the car was found.
Ferguson reportedly admitted to a relationship with Kelley, though he used the alias “Kevin Brown” to conceal the fact that he was married. Kelley had reportedly discovered this information and was going to talk to him about it at the time of her disappearance.
Investigators say phone conversations reveal that Kelley threatened to tell Ferguson’s wife about their affair if he didn’t answer her.
The same day Kelley’s body was found in Grand Prairie, the body of 16-year-old Venus Rodriguez was found in Oak Cliff, as The Dallas Express reported.
Rodriguez was found around 10 a.m. in the 1700 block of Brookhaven Drive. She died due after multiple gunshot wounds. An investigation into the shooting is currently underway, but the police do not have a suspect as of the time of this report.
Dallas is enduring an ongoing crime wave, as the city council’s hands-off approach to law enforcement continues into the new year. As of January 25, as many as 20 murders have been reported in the city in 2023, according to crime analytics from the City of Dallas. This marks an 11% increase from the same point in 2022.
