My beautiful daughter died mysteriously while camping...what a private investigator told me has left me distraught
Jessica Paige Kemp, 32, was last seen alive on May 5 while camping alone near Lake Ashbaugh in Arkansas.
Kemp, who was described as an avid camper by her family, called the Greene County Sheriff's Office that evening after she became concerned someone was underneath her vehicle.
Deputies responded but left her, after they determined there was nothing under or in her vehicle.
There was no sign of Kemp for over a month until June 10, when her fiancé Paden Raburn and her family encountered a strong smell while out searching for her.
Raburn said their search had been drawn towards a field after some of Kemp's belongings were found scattered nearby.
Skeletal remains were eventually found two-and-a-half miles from her campsite by deputies. They were formally identified as Kemp shortly after by authorities.
Believing there was more to the story, her mother Sandy Kemp hired a private investigator and is now convinced she was murdered.
She told WREG: 'She didn't get lost, my daughter didn't get lost. I think my daughter was murdered. Actually I know she was.'
Remembering her daughter, she added: 'She was smart, kind, very giving, she'd give away her last dollar.
'She was one of a kind, absolutely beautiful soul, absolutely beautiful.' The Daily Mail has attempted to contact Sandy for further comment on her claims.
Sandy said that her daughter had read a text from her on May 5, which she then followed up with again the following day, it went unanswered.
'She stopped using her debit card, no responses from her to anybody, and we've always been a very, very close family, so we knew something was wrong', she added.
Search teams looking for Kemp found her car abandoned, her purse was still inside and items were scattered around the vehicle.
Officials say they are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death, but Sandy has been critical of the approach.
The Greene County Sheriff Brad Snyder responded to her concerns in a post to Facebook before the body of Kemp was found.
In his post, dated May 30, the sheriff said that Kemp had stopped taking medication for her mental health.
He also disclosed that she has a known drug addiction and that it was not uncommon for her to go without speaking to her family for months at a time.
The office also suggested that there was no body cam footage from officers who initially met with Kemp before she disappeared.
Snyder also said that Kemp wasn't reported missing until May 14 after her disappearance was initially reported to another department.
It added: 'When she was reported missing, she was reported missing to the Jonesboro Police Department.
'When our department learned of the missing persons report, we responded to the campsite to begin investigating.
'Between my patrol deputies and criminal investigators, my department has well over 200 man hours invested in attempting to locate Ms. Kemp.'
Snyder also said there was no signs of foul play at the scene.
An obituary described Kemp as being 'a creative and crafty spirit', who had a love for the outdoors.
It said: 'Paige had a knack for turning the ordinary into something special. She loved painting, crafting, and bringing color and life to the world around her.
'Animals held a special place in her heart—especially turtles—and her gentle spirit made her a beloved presence in every life she touched.
'Paige's sweet soul, love of nature, and genuine heart will be deeply missed by all who knew her.' A memorial service was held last weekend to remember her.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
Consequences of moment of violence are ‘eternal', boy's mother tells killers
The mother of a 14-year-old schoolboy who was stabbed to death on a bus told her son's killers that a 'moment of violence' has led to 'eternal' consequences. Aspiring rapper Kelyan Bokassa was stabbed around 27 times in the attack that lasted around 14 seconds as he travelled on a route 472 bus in Woolwich, south-east London, on January 7. Two youths, aged 16, appeared at the Old Bailey to be sentenced on Friday after they pleaded guilty to Kelyan's murder and having a knife. In a victim impact statement, Kelyan's mother Marie Bokassa said: 'I stand here not just as a mother but as a broken soul whose life changed forever the day my child's life was taken from me by another child.' Speaking through tears and wearing black, she added: 'At least my son is at peace, and those two kids are going to have a really tough time. 'I ask myself what has happened to those two boys that has resulted in that terrible act of violence and I cannot imagine how can they be so angry. 'What they did was horrific and I do not know what has led them to do this and maybe I will never.' 'That moment of violence may have lasted seconds but its consequences are eternal,' Ms Bokassa said. She told the court her son had loved food, cooking and football and brought her flowers on her birthday. 'He would put music on and we'd dance together in the living room,' she said. 'He loved Mr Bean, which we watched together, and he would laugh. I miss his laugh, miss his voice. 'I will never see his children or be a grandmother and he will never have his own family.' Ms Bokassa added that she had spent her son's 15th birthday at his graveside and that she missed everything about him. She said that some people in her neighbourhood cannot look at her and she is petrified to take public transport, particularly the 472 bus. 'I feel judged,' Ms Bokassa added. 'Maybe I will never recover, all I know is I will live and I will have to be strong for my son and I will have to constantly find a coping mechanism,' she continued. 'He would want me to try and solve youth crime and not give up on my life. 'My son loved me and would want me to go on with my life. 'These two young boys took my son's life without hesitation, they will now have to face the consequences of their actions here today. 'My only hope is they get the help they need before they ever get released into society.' In a statement Kelyan's father, Hashim Mohamed, said his son's death had prompted him and his wife to consider 'youth violence' and to 'think politically' about knife crime. 'I never expected Kelyan's life to end tragically, to the contrary I believed he would one day thrive as an elite athlete or even as a creative,' he wrote in a statement read out on his behalf by prosecutor Deanna Heer KC. The hearing was attended by around 20 members of the public, who filled the public gallery, all of whom wore black while some hid their faces and sobbed loudly as CCTV footage of the attack was shown to the court. Kelyan's mother left the hearing briefly while the video of her son's murder was played.
The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
Smiling machete youths locked up for life for bus murder of 14-year-old boy
Two machete-wielding youths who smiled as they fatally stabbed a 14-year-old schoolboy on a bus have been locked up for life. Aspiring rapper Kelyan Bokassa called 'I want my mum' after he was mortally wounded in front of horrified passengers aboard the a route 472 bus in Woolwich, south-east London, on January 7. His killers, aged 16, pleaded guilty to Kelyan's murder and having a knife. In a televised sentencing on Friday, Judge Mark Lucraft KC detained them at His Majesty's pleasure for life. He told the pair they would be locked up for a least 15 years and 10 months before being eligible for parole. Judge Lucraft said Kenyan's death was a 'senseless loss' of yet another young life to the 'horrors of knife crime'. One of the youths in the dock of the Old Bailey smiled as he was sent down. Earlier, prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said Kelyan had boarded the 472 bus just after 2pm to attend an appointment at the Youth Justice Centre in Woolwich. CCTV footage showed Kelyan went to sit on the back seat on the top deck, with a knife in the waistband of his trousers. Ms Heer said the teenager looked around and out of the windows before taking his seat 'giving every impression that he was concerned for his safety'. The defendants, who cannot be named, boarded the bus 20 minutes later each armed with identical machetes hidden in their clothes. The pair walked towards Kelyan 'with purpose' and withdrew their blades before immediately stabbing him without uttering a word to their victim. Ms Heer said: 'Since Kelyan Bokassa was seated on the back seat, he was cornered, unable to escape as the defendants repeatedly thrust their knives towards him, smiling as they did so.' The attack lasted around 14 seconds, with the youths thrusting the machetes towards Kelyan 27 times. Ms Heer went on: 'Kelyan Bokassa had no time to reach for his own knife, which remained in his trousers, and instead tried in vain to protect himself with his school bag. 'There were several other passengers on the top deck who fled in panic when they realised what was happening. They describe hearing intense screaming from the back of the bus and the victim shouting, 'Help. Help. I've been stabbed'. 'They describe both defendants making quick, forceful movements towards Kelyan Bokassa as he tried to defend himself.' The bus driver activated his emergency alarm just before 2.27pm and the defendants fled when the vehicle stopped at Woolwich Ferry. Kelyan stumbled down the aisle to the stairs, where another passenger went to help him. The boy was heard to say: 'Take me to my mum's. I want my mum,' before his legs buckled, bleeding heavily from a wound to the leg. Members of the public flagged down a passing police car and officers found Kelyan had collapsed and his body was limp. Despite attempts to save him, Kelyan died at the scene at 3.23pm. One of the machetes was thrown into the River Thames, but was later recovered by police. The defendants were quickly identified from CCTV on the bus and arrested. In a victim impact statement, Kelyan's mother Marie Bokassa said: 'At least my son is at peace, and those two kids are going to have a really tough time. 'I ask myself what has happened to those two boys that has resulted in that terrible act of violence, and I cannot imagine how can they be so angry. 'What they did was horrific and I do not know what has led them to do this, and maybe I will never.' She told the court her son had loved food, cooking and football, and brought her flowers on her birthday. Speaking through tears and wearing black, she said: 'He would put music on and we'd dance together in the living room. 'He loved Mr Bean, which we watched together, and he would laugh. I miss his laugh, miss his voice. 'I will never see his children or be a grandmother and he will never have his own family.' Ms Bokassa added that she had spent her son's 15th birthday at his graveside. During the sentencing hearing, members of the public sobbed loudly and hid their faces as footage of the attack on Kelyan was shown in court. The court heard both defendants have previous convictions for carrying blades in public. Samantha Yelland, senior crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said: 'This was a savage and sustained attack on a 14-year-old boy which was carried out in broad daylight on a busy bus. 'Kelyan was headed to an appointment that day and passengers on the bus witnessed his violent murder in truly harrowing circumstances. Despite the attack lasting only 15 seconds, he had little chance of survival. 'We worked closely with police and were thankfully helped by clear CCTV evidence which both placed the defendants on the bus and showed one of them discarding the machete. They had little choice but to plead guilty. 'I hope their sentences provide some degree of comfort to Kelyan's friends and family.'
BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Murder arrest after fire in former Newquay hotel
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following a fire in a former Newquay blaze broke out at the former Narrowcliff Hotel in the Cornish town at about 16:30 BST on Tuesday, said Devon and Cornwall body of a man in his 30s was found inside the property, said police.A 33-year-old man from Bolton was arrested on suspicion of murder and he remained in police custody, said the force. Police said inquiries were ongoing but they were treating the cause of the fire as suspicious. Det Supt Jon Bancroft, the senior investigating officer, said: "While we have arrested a man on suspicion of murder, we are keeping an open mind in relation to the circumstances surrounding the death."Incidents of this nature are shocking for any community, especially in the light of recent events in Cornwall and our ongoing investigations."There will be a heightened police presence in the area."
