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Testimony commenced on Tuesday in the murder trial of Ocastor Ferguson, the individual accused of kidnapping and killing his girlfriend, Kayla Kelley, last year.
Kelley, a resident of McKinney, was reported missing in January 2023 at the age of 33. Her body was discovered days later, buried in a shallow grave in Grand Prairie.
Details regarding the case have been derived from the arrest affidavit released by the police last year for Ferguson, who is currently 33 years old. He has remained in custody since his arrest, with bonds totaling over $2.5 million.
As per the affidavit, Ferguson, a married man, had been in a relationship with Kelley since the summer of 2022, initially meeting online under the alias “Kevin Brown.”
Upon Kelley’s disappearance on January 11, 2023, her family and friends informed authorities that she had recently uncovered Ferguson’s true identity and marital status. Detectives revealed that she had threatened to disclose the affair to his wife.
The affidavit further disclosed text conversations between Kelley and Ferguson leading up to her disappearance.
On January 12, 2023, Frisco police discovered Kelley’s burnt-out vehicle on a remote county road, showing signs of arson.
Investigators from the Collin County Sheriff’s Office traced Ferguson’s purchase of items used to set the car ablaze—a lighter and gas can—on January 10.
Additionally, Ferguson’s vehicle was found near Kelley’s residence in Collin County, containing gloves, duct tape, and a blanket.
Cellphone records enabled investigators to track Ferguson’s movements to various locations, including the burnt-out vehicle, Kelley’s residence, and a wooded area near his Grand Prairie home, where Kelley’s body was unearthed from a shallow grave.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Kelley’s cause of death to be asphyxia.
Ferguson faces charges of murder, arson (a second-degree felony), and kidnapping (a third-degree felony).
A court document from last year, seeking a higher bail amount for Ferguson, revealed him to be a Jamaican national with limited local ties. Authorities stated that Ferguson had recently returned to North Texas following a visit to Jamaica.
In a pre-trial hearing, attorneys reviewed evidence to be presented to jurors and enlisted detectives from the Allen Police Department and Collin County Sheriff’s Office as expert witnesses on digital forensics and cellphone tower data—key components in the case against Ferguson.
Jurors were selected on Monday, with Ferguson’s trial scheduled to commence at 9 a.m. on Tuesday at the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney.