DAYTON, Ohio — The man and woman from Mansfield who were reported missing earlier this month were found dead in separate but nearby vacant buildings in Dayton, police confirmed. Police said 20-year-old Kyla Hayton was pregnant at the time of her death.
At a news conference Monday afternoon, Dayton police official Jason Hall confirmed Hayton's body was recovered Monday morning at a building in the 900 block of West Stewart Street. Hall confirmed that Hayton was with child, and the fetus is also deceased. An autopsy has been scheduled for Tuesday morning to determine the cause of death.
The body of 28-year-old Todd Burkhart, who went missing along with his Hayton, his girlfriend, was found in a vacant home, also in the 900 block of West Stewart Street in Dayton on Friday. The coroner confirmed he was shot to death.
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Dayton police detectives have been working this case since Burkhart's vehicle was found abandoned on West Stewart Street on Nov. 20. Detectives began canvasing the area, which has a large number of abandoned buildings, Hall said. They utilized advanced investigative techniques to attempt to find the missing couple. A cadaver dog located Hayton's body on Monday. Hall said that from a layman's investigation, it appeared Hayton had been deceased for some time.
Hall said that they do have a person of interest in custody who is currently being held on weapons charges at the Montgomery County Jail. Hall said he has definite ties to the area where the bodies were found. Burkhart and the person of interest are acquaintances, Hall said.
Hall said they are still working to establish a timeline, and due to the nature of the investigation, there are details they cannot divulge at this time.
