Family searching for missing 15-year-old Copperas Cove teen

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

A Copperas Cove 15-year-old left her Judy Lane residence between 7:45 and 8:15 p.m. on Monday, June 12, and is still missing as of Tuesday afternoon.

Jennifer Morello is searching for her daughter, Kahlan Morello, who is believed to be in danger.

Morello believes her daughter met up with an adult male, 30 years of age, that Kahlan met via an online game, and that the man possibly picked her up at the culvert on Risen Star Lane.

Kahlan left her phone behind but took her laptop with her, Morello said.

She said they have found explicit messages from the man and also have a photo of the individual in question.

At this point there is no information available about a vehicle he was driving.

The family was talking with neighbors to see if anyone has video footage during the time frame.

There was an unconfirmed sighting of Kahlan at the Walmart in Killeen off Trimmier on Monday evening that might have been her. The family is talking to employees and checking hotels and restaurants in the area to learn if anyone may have seen Kahlan and the man she was with.

Kahlan is 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 95 pounds, and has brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone who may have seen her has been asked to call Copperas Cove police at (254) 547-8222.

An Amber Alert has not been issued for her case as of yet, as specific criteria must be met for the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to issue an Amber Alert, said Cpt. Gabriel Cardona with Copperas Cove police, but that the assigned detective is following up on any potential leads. 

Activation criteria include:

The child is under 17 years of age or younger, whose whereabouts are unknown, and whose disappearance law enforcement has determined to be unwilling which poses a credible threat to the child’s safety and health;

The child is in immediate danger of sexual assault, death or serious bodily injury;

A preliminary investigation verified the abduction and eliminated the alternative explanations for the child’s disappearance;

Sufficient information is available to disseminate to the public to help locate the child, a suspect, or the vehicle used in the abduction.

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.