Kara Kopetsky

On the morning of May 4, 2007, seventeen-year-old Kara Kopetsky walked out of Belton High School in Belton, Missouri at approximately 8:00 a.m. and vanished. She had obtained a protective order against her ex-boyfriend, Kylr Yust, just days earlier, citing stalking and abuse. Security cameras captured her leaving the school building, but she was never seen again.

The investigation immediately focused on Yust, who had a history of violent behavior. However, without physical evidence or a body, prosecutors were unable to bring charges. The case went cold. Kara's parents, Jim and Rhonda Kopetsky, became tireless advocates, keeping the case in the public eye through social media campaigns and community events.

In September 2016, another young woman connected to Yust—21-year-old Jessica Runions—went missing after attending a party with him. Yust was arrested after Jessica's burned-out car was found, but he claimed she had left the car voluntarily. In April 2017, a farmer discovered skeletal remains on his property in rural Cass County. DNA testing confirmed they were the remains of both Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions, buried in the same area.

Kylr Yust was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. At trial in April 2021, he was convicted of the lesser charge of second-degree murder for Kara's death and first-degree murder for Jessica's death. He was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. The discovery that a second victim had been found alongside Kara confirmed what her family had long believed: that Yust had killed her.