Main: Kayla Huff (Mike Huff). Insets, clockwise from top left: Hunter Ames, Alayna Mason, Christopher Hull, and Julian Mason (Randolph County Jail).
Five people have been arrested for their alleged roles in kidnapping and killing a 16-year-old girl in Missouri whose body was discovered Wednesday, one week after her family reported her missing.
Hunter Ames, 19, Christopher Hull, 23, and Alayna Mason, 20, have each been charged with kidnapping in connection with the death of Kayla Huff, court records show. Julian L. Mason is facing a felony count of tampering with physical evidence, while Huff's 17-year-old boyfriend was also arrested in connection with her disappearance.
The investigation began on May 6 when Huff's parents reported her missing to the Randolph County Sheriff's Office. According to a probable cause affidavit, investigators quickly determined that the teenager had been targeted in a calculated plot involving multiple individuals who allegedly worked to render her own vehicle inoperable.
The affidavit alleges that on May 5, the day before Huff vanished, Ames and other suspects took motor oil from the bed of an acquaintance's truck and poured it into the fuel tank of Huff's red vehicle to immobilize it.
Surveillance footage and cellphone data allegedly placed the suspects near Huff's residence at approximately 3 a.m. that morning.
On the morning of May 6, Ames allegedly told police he was woken up by a suspect who informed him "they had someone in the trunk" of a white Chevrolet Impala. Ames reportedly told investigators he provided the group with his own gun after a suspect said "she needed his pistol to 'take care' of it," referring to Huff.
Huff was allegedly driven to the Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area, where the suspects reportedly "dragged her from the trunk of the vehicle, assaulted [Kayla] and then shot and killed [her]." Investigators say Ames provided the specific firearm used to shoot the 16-year-old.
Surveillance video from the east side of the suspects' residence reportedly corroborated Ames' account of the group leaving and returning in the Impala.
Investigators said they conducted several interviews with Ames, who allegedly admitted to aiding in the kidnapping and discarding evidence.
The document notes that each time Ames was interviewed, it was after police received a tip about his involvement in Kayla's disappearance. When confronted, Ames would reportedly provide further information that "he had lied or omitted in prior interviews."
Following the murder, Ames allegedly admitted to helping hide the weapons used in the attack. He told investigators that on May 8, he had a co-defendant drive him to a rural area to throw away an expandable baton that he knew was used to "assault [Kayla] with." Ames allegedly decided to discard the baton after law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home but failed to locate the weapon.
Huff's body was eventually located at the conservation area, bringing a tragic end to the weeklong search. Randolph County Sheriff Andy Boggs confirmed the discovery in a somber message to the community. "This is not the outcome anyone hoped or prayed for, and our hearts go out to Kayla's family, friends, classmates, and all those affected by this tragic loss," Boggs stated.
The sheriff noted that while multiple individuals have been charged, the case remains an active and ongoing homicide investigation. "While we are thankful for the tireless efforts of law enforcement, emergency responders, volunteers, and community members who assisted in the search, we mourn alongside this family as they face an unimaginable loss," the statement continued. Additional investigative steps are currently underway as authorities work to finalize the case.
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