UPDATED (December 2nd, 2014):
Officials confirmed Tuesday night that a body found in the Jordan River on Monday is that of missing women Kayelyn Louder, who vanished in September from her condominium in Murray, Utah.
Local NBC affiliate KSL posted a statement from Louder's family which reads:
"We are broken hearted with the news of Kayelyn's body being found, but are also grateful to know where she is. This has been an extremely difficult nine-plus weeks for all involved. We hope that through all of our efforts that she had been able to see how much she is loved and cared for. We do believe we will be with her again someday and find some comfort knowing she is with family that has passed on before her. We are forever grateful to the volunteers who have helped us in countless ways over the past nine weeks. We are amazed at your love and dedication to our family. Countless hours and donations were given in our behalf. While finding her brings some closure, we still have many unanswered questions and will not rest until we are able to fully understand what happened. We appreciate your continued prayers and support during this difficult time."
Louder's cause of death has yet to be determined, according to the Murray Police Department. Her body was found by crews working on a drainage pipe in West Valley City on Monday morning. They noticed the body barely sticking out of the water in the middle of the river. It was underneath a bridge and partially hidden by water plants, West Valley police spokeswoman Roxanne Vainuku told KSL. Police have also not commented on how long Louder's body had been in the water or how it got there.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE (October 6th, 2014:):
Kayelyn Louder, 30, has been missing from her Murray, Utah home since September 27th, 2014.
In what her parents are calling “abnormal behavior” for their daughter, Kayelyn left her condominium on the day she vanished in only a tank top and shorts. She was not wearing any shoes and left behind her cell phone, house keys, purse, car keys, and pet dog. She was captured on security video leaving the building without an umbrella in the pouring rain.
Kayelyn’s father, Jesse Louder, admits that his daughter has recently gone through “a little bit of depression,” due to her employment situation. She is a social worker, and has “been in and out of jobs for the last year,” he explained to local NBC affiliate KSL. But her mother Suzie insists that this is out of character for Kayelyn, who usually “checks in with her” on a daily basis.
Although Murray Police have not found evidence of foul play, and have acknowledged that they are limited in what they can do because Kayelyn is an adult, they have opened an investigation and are looking into the strange circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
At a candlelight vigil held for Kayelyn on Sunday evening, her cousin Megan Chin told KSL that she believes that someone may be holding her against her will. “I love her so much; I just hope she comes home. If someone has her, just let her go,” she pleaded.
Kayelyn is 5’8”, with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information as to her whereabouts is asked to call Murray Police at (801) 840-4000 or (801) 264-2673. The Facebook page "Help Find Missing - Kayelyn Louder" has also been set up.