The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Kayla Stone has deepened after her brother revealed that she packed a small overnight bag the night before she vanished — and what was inside, investigators say, “doesn’t make sense.”
“It wasn’t like she was planning a trip,” said her brother, Evan Stone. “It was more like she was getting ready for something she couldn’t explain.”
Detectives recovered the bag from the trunk of Kayla’s car, which was found abandoned three days later. Inside were only a few items: a half-written note, an old photograph, and a hotel key card from a town two hours away.
“None of these things connect logically,” said Captain Elise Warren, who leads the investigation. “But together, they feel intentional — like she left us a trail.”
Family members say Kayla hadn’t mentioned traveling, nor did she have any known connections to the area printed on the key card.
“It’s like she was preparing for something she didn’t want to talk about,” her mother said quietly. “And now we’re left wondering what she knew.”
Forensic experts are analyzing fingerprints and handwriting from the note, which reportedly ends mid-sentence. Authorities believe the discovery could be a crucial breakthrough in the search for answers.
“This changes everything,” an investigator told reporters. “That bag wasn’t random — it was a message.”
