Young Mom 'VANISHES' on Cross Country Trip: Where is Katie?

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

True Crime, News

3.9 • 7.6K Ratings

🗓️ 13 December 2023

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Katie Ferguson and Adam Aviles Jr. have been involved in a relationship for several years and share two daughters.

When Katie and Adam separate, Adam stays in Cody, Wyoming. Katie and the girls move in with Katie Ferguson's mother, Mona Hartling, in Dothan, Alabama. After spending the summer with her mother, Katie Ferguson reaches out to her ex, Adam Aviles Jr.

She wants the girls to have time with their dad. Katie Ferguson tells her family that Adam has really "grown up" since they have been apart. Adam starts the round-trip drive from Wyoming.

On their drive back, Aviles, Ferguson, and their girls draw the attention of local police. They are sitting in a parking lot with the front passenger door open on their Dodge Durango. A Trumann, Arkansas police officer asks how they are doing. Katie Ferguson tells the officer they are a bit tired but fine.

Four days later, the Dodge Durango, with Adam Aviles Jr. behind the wheel, is captured by a Texas DPS patrol camera. Two things are noticeably different from the police encounter in Arkansas. Katie Ferguson is not in the vehicle and, there is a projectile hole in the front passenger door concealed with tape.

Where is Katie?

Click here for a GoFundMe page, set up to help with family with expenses as the search for Katie continues.

Joining Nancy Grace Today:

Mona Hartling - Mother of Katheryn “Katie” Ferguson
Alen Ferguson - Brother of Katheryn “Katie” Ferguson
James Shelnutt – Attorney – The Shelnutt Law Firm, P.C.; 27-year Atlanta Metro Area Major Case Detective and Former S.W.A.T. Officer; Twitter: @ShelnuttLawFirm
Dr. Shari Schwartz– Forensic Psychologist (Specializing in Capital Mitigation and Victim Advocacy); Author: “Criminal Behavior” and “Where Law and Psychology Intersect: Issues in Legal Psychology;” Twitter: @TrialDoc
Justin Boardman – Retired Detective, West Valley City Police Department Special Victim’s Unit, Boardman Training & Consulting
“Turtleman” Chris Adams – Swamp Survival Expert; Facebook: Wiregrass Ecological & Cultural Project/ TikTok: @GAturtleman
Nicole Partin - CrimeOnline.com Investigative Reporter; Twitter: @nicolepartin

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Crime stories with Nancy Grace. A gorgeous young mom just 33 goes on a cross-country trip.
0:22.6	How do you just disappear?
0:25.4	Vanish into thin air.
0:28.3	Her family keeping up with her as she goes,
0:31.4	but now the big, big question, where is Katie? But right now we have a major clue.
0:43.0	I'm Nancy Grace.
0:45.0	This is Crime Stories.
0:46.0	Thank you for being with us here at Crime Stories and on Serious XM 111.
0:51.0	First of all, take a listen to this.
0:55.0	During the drive, Adam Avelis, Katie Ferguson, and their girls draw the attention of Arkansas police.
1:01.0	A slight drizzle trickles as the family sit in a parking lot at 11 a.m. a
1:05.0	Truman Arkansas police officer startles Katie as he approaches the car.
1:09.6	Katie can be seen in the body cam footage folding baby clothes. A toddler climbs in the front seat
1:14.4	area between her parents. The officer asks how they were doing. Katie Ferguson tells the officer
1:19.6	they are a bit tired, but when the officer asks to see some ID, Katie says hers is in a bag in the back.
1:25.8	Adam Avela starts asking questions. Did someone call the police on them? Is Arkansas an
1:30.3	ID state? Avelis bristles at being asked for ID.
1:33.7	He tells the officer they aren't doing anything wrong.
1:36.4	And here comes the clue.
1:40.2	Just before Katie seemingly vanishes.
1:44.4	And remember, the cop approaches them
1:48.0	not because they did anything wrong,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.