A four-decade-old missing person case finally brought an answer to a family that had spent decades wondering what happened.
In July 2025, investigators confirmed that human remains recovered in Independence, Missouri, belonged to Kimberly Lawanda Carter, a 19-year-old mother of three who disappeared from the Kansas City area in 1984. Independence Police publicly announced the identification that September, saying advances in DNA analysis had connected Kimberly to remains that had gone unidentified.
Construction workers discovered a human skull in a remote area of eastern Independence in August 1988. Investigators eventually recovered approximately 40 percent of a skeleton, but the available forensic methods could not identify the person. The remains were kept by the University of Missouri’s Department of Anthropology until October 2024, when they were returned to Independence Police, and an investigator determined that no modern identification effort had been attempted.
Our Black Girls is an independent, reader-supported publication. If you believe in amplifying the stories of missing Black women and girls, please consider making a direct gift through PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee, or by subscribing here.
Working with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, investigators submitted evidence for advanced DNA testing. Othram developed a DNA profile and used forensic genetic genealogy to generate new leads. A potential relative was identified, and reference DNA was collected. The comparison ultimately gave Kimberly her name back.
Identification answered one question, but it did not resolve what happened to her. Police said foul play was suspected when Kimberly disappeared and is also suspected in her death. The Independence Police Department is now investigating the case criminally, more than four decades after Kimberly was last seen.
Kimberly Carter Disappeared In 1984
The last confirmed account of Kimberly’s movements began on July 5, 1984. Kansas City Police records state that she left her three children with a friend near the 4500 block of Kensington Avenue before going to work. Later, Kimberly reportedly called a friend from somewhere in Kansas and asked for a ride home. Before that friend could reach her, Kimberly said a man had offered her a ride instead. She was never seen by her family again.
That account has since been challenged by Kimberly’s mother, Vera Owsley. She told reporters that her daughter was living in Kansas City, Kansas, at the time and disputed the longstanding claim that Kimberly disappeared while going to or coming from work. According to Owsley, Kimberly was supposed to attend a Fourth of July celebration in Kansas City, Missouri. More than four decades later, the conflicting versions of Kimberly’s final known plans have never been publicly reconciled.
What was never in dispute was Kimberly’s connection to her children. She was only 19 and already raising three, including an infant. Her family said leaving them voluntarily would have been out of character, and investigators suspected foul play in her disappearance.
Kimberly’s case remained among the oldest disappearances carried by the Kansas City Police Department. As the years passed without an answer, Vera continued searching for the daughter she believed would someday come home.
Her Mother Never Stopped Searching
Vera Owsley kept pushing for answers long after Kimberly’s disappearance stopped generating regular attention. In a 2006 interview with the Kansas City Star, she said she was visiting the police station two or three times a week hoping investigators had learned something new. She passed out flyers featuring Kimberly’s photograph and even approached truck drivers at Walmart, asking them to carry the flyers so her daughter’s face could travel beyond Kansas City.
Vera also made sure Kimberly was remembered as more than a name on a missing person poster. She described her daughter as a natural gymnast who loved doing flips and climbing, and said Kimberly enjoyed sewing clothes for her dolls. She also loved shopping and dressing up. In that same interview, Vera said the loss still felt immediate more than two decades later.
Kimberly Carter: What To Know
Identifying Kimberly did not close the case. Authorities have not publicly identified a suspect or disclosed how they believe Kimberly died, but the department confirmed that a criminal investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about Kimberly’s disappearance or death is urged to contact the Independence Police Department at 816-325-7300 or the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
Please share this story about Kimberly Carter to help bring attention to the investigation into her death. She is our sister, and her life matters.
Case Number:
Agency: Independence Police Department
Phone: 816-325-7300
Email:
Join the Our Black Girls conversations on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. Stay updated on the latest cases, developments, messages from survivors, and much more.