HURON COUNTY, Ohio — How did Katelynn die? It’s been a question for over six years. 21-year-old Erie County corrections officer Katelynn Shepard was found dead in her car in a ditch in Huron in 2018. Her mother, Tricia Shepard, has been waiting for answers.
“My family and I need closure, and my daughter deserves justice. Katelynn was a wonderful girl and had a good head on her shoulders,” Tricia said.
She says she still remembers their last moments together on Katelynn’s birthday.
“I took her out for her 21st birthday on July 2, and we had a good time. She told me she wanted to move back in our home because she was planning to move on in her relationship. I told her, 'You always have a place here.' I’ll never forget that day because I never saw her again,” Tricia said.
On July 9, 2018, Tricia received a phone call from her sister that she was concerned for Katelynn after receiving a strange text from Katelynn’s phone that neither believed she sent.
“My sister then tried to contact her again, and at that point, it kept going right to voicemail,” Tricia said.
Her concern grew after law enforcement did a welfare check and Katelynn did not show up for work. Authorities told her she wasn't home, and the 40-year-old man she was living with and dating at the time said he hadn't seen her since the previous night.
Tricia put out multiple messages on Facebook asking if anyone had heard from Katelynn. It wasn’t until later that evening she would receive the worst news of her life after authorities found Katelynn’s car off the road.
“The deputy says, 'Well unfortunately, her truck had been burned,' and, 'Unfortunately, there is a body in the truck, but at this point, it is burned beyond recognition,'" Tricia explained. "So, they took DNA hair samples from me, and they were able to determine that it was Katelynn."
Katelynn was found inside of her pick-up truck off the road in a ditch on Townline Road 187 in Huron County, and although Katelynn’s death was ruled accidental, Tricia does not believe that.
Currently, the case is still open at the Huron County Sheriff’s Office.
“They said, 'Ms. Shepard, sometimes cases like this can take 10 years or longer to solve, maybe you just need to be patient,'” Tricia said.
Huron County Sheriff's Office told News 5 since it is an open investigation, they cannot release any records surrounding Katelynn’s death and the investigation. However, The Ohio State Highway Patrol says they cannot explain what caused her car to go off the road or what caused the fire.
Tricia says she has not heard any updates regarding her daughter’s case in over two years.
“In the beginning they were working on the case, I went in for different interviews with them, we did different questioning, and they did a few things that I was satisfied with. But then as the case grew older, I just quit getting responses and answers,” Tricia said.
On Thursday, Tricia sent a letter to the Huron County Prosecutor asking them to hand the case over to state investigators, hoping they can figure out how and why Katelynn died.
“I am concerned with how Huron County has handled the case, and I want them to do the right thing and hand it over to BCI. Let them continue with the investigation and see if they can find anything out,” said Tricia.
Tricia says the loss of Katelynn has impacted her entire family because Katelynn and her siblings were close. And now all they have left of her are pictures.
“I've got her pictures next to my bed and I look at them every night when I go to sleep, I've got her urn in my house. And every day I tell her good morning,” said Tricia.
Tricia says she will not give up until she finds out the truth and hopes they get the closure soon with the help of the state.
“My biggest wish and dream are to get justice for my daughter before I one day get to see her again,” Tricia said.
