A man linked to a 2015 cold case was arrested on multiple sex offense charges in Virginia, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said late Friday.
The sheriff’s office identified the man as James Branton and said it’s “believed” that Katelin Akens, who went missing over a decade ago at the age of 19, is “one of the victims.”
WTOP partner 7News reported that Branton is Akens’ former stepfather.
The arrest came about as part of a multijurisdictional partnership between the sheriff’s office, Virginia State Police and the Spotsylvania Commonwealth Attorney’s Office.
Akens was last seen Dec. 5, 2015, when she was en route to Reagan National Airport, WTOP previously reported. Akens was planning to catch a flight to Arizona, where she lived at the time.
Her family said she never reached her destination.
Police said Akens’ luggage was later found in a drainage ditch on River Road in Spotsylvania, although some of her clothes, cash, and her phone were missing from the bags.
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“The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office remains committed to bringing Katelin home to her family and we appreciate the state, local and federal agencies that assisted with the investigation,” Lt. Col. Delbert Myrick said in a statement.
The investigation into the case remains ongoing. Anyone with information related to the Akens’ disappearance is urged to contact investigators at 1-800-928-5822 or at 540-582-5822.
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