Spotsylvania Woman's Disappearance Remains Unsolved After 10 Years

SPOTSYLVANIA, VA — Spotsylvania County cold case investigators are asking the public's help in determining what happened to 19-year-old Katelin Michelle Akens. Friday marks the 10th anniversary of her disappearance.

Akens was last seen on Dec. 5, 2015, when her stepfather dropped her off at Springfield Town Center, a sheriff's office spokesman told Patch in 2015. Although the stepfather and Akens' mother were divorced, family members said they were on good terms.

Akens was supposed to walk from the shopping center to the nearby Franconia-Springfield Station and take the Metro to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington. She was scheduled to take a flight to Arizona to visit her fiancé, but she never checked in for her flight, according to authorities.

Related: No Sign of Katelin Akens, 19, on Surveillance Video: Police

On Dec. 7, 2015, Akens' luggage was found in a drainage dish off of River Road in Spotsylvania County, authorities say.

"As we reflect on this somber anniversary, we remember Katelin not just as a missing person, but as a daughter, a friend, and a young woman with dreams and a future that was tragically interrupted," according to a release from the sheriff's office. "Her family has endured 10 long years without answers, and we remain committed to finding the truth."

Anyone with information about Akens' disappearance — no matter how small it may seem — is asked to contact the sheriff's office. Tips can be submitted anonymously through: www.p3tips.com and Spotsylvaniacrimesolvers.org.