KAYLIN MICHELLE DOGGENDORF - 14 yo -(2010) Whitley County/Fort Wayne IN

Police are searching for a 14-year-old girl who
disappeared from her parents’ house in northwest Whitley County on
Wednesday night or Thursday morning.



Police have found no evidence that Kaylin “Kay” Michelle Doggendorf was abducted or taken
against her will. Neither is there evidence that she sneaked out of her
house and ran away, Sheriff Mark Hodges said. Doggendorf’s
parents last saw her about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday at their home on North
Whitley County Road 850 West on the Whitley-Kosciusko county line. Her
parents called police about 9 a.m. Thursday when they couldn’t find the
teen in her bedroom. The teen has no history of running
away from home, though her parents thought she had possibly left on her
own and would return later in the day, Hodges said. Doggendorf
is 5-foot-4, 115 pounds with blue eyes and shoulder-length brown hair.
She might be wearing a black hooded sweat shirt with color splashes, a
tank top, blue jean Capri pants and flat-soled shoes. Authorities
ask anyone with information to call the Whitley County Sheriff’s
Department at 244-6410.

The Whitley County Sheriff’s Department is now believes that the
14-year-old girl who went missing from her home Wednesday evening left
of her own free will.
Kaylin “Kay” Michelle Doggendorf, 115 pounds, blue eyes and shoulder
length brown hair, was last seen in her home Wednesday night at 10:30.
Kaylin lives with her parents on North County Road 850W on
the Kosciusko County line.
She is believed to be wearing a black goodie sweatshirt with
color splashes, tank top, blue jean Capri pants and flat soled shoes.
Anyone with information on the location of Kaylin is asked
to call the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department at (260) 244-6410.

The search continues for 14-year-old Kaylin Michelle Doggendorf. The
Pierceton resident was last seen by her parents around 10:30 Wednesday
evening. Her mom discovered she was missing Thursday morning at 6, when
she went to wake her for school. "We had officers out fairly late
last evening," said Whitley County Sheriff Mark Hodges. Up and
down county roads and everywhere in between, the search has been on for
the teen. It's not clear what might have led to her disappearance. "We
know she was up talking with a boy for several hours, up until about 2
in the morning and had been texting somebody," Jason Doggendorf, the
girls father, said. The girl went missing without her cell phone
and without other items like her makeup for example, but she did take
her lime green comforter with her. It all puzzles investigators, who
continue to investigate everyone she may have talked to, and what they
may have talked about. "There is telephone and computer data that
we're still sifting through among all the other tips and information
that comes in that we're hoping will lead us to the right direction,"
Sheriff Hodges said. Her parents just hope and pray for her safe
return. "Kaylyn, if you're able to see this........ it really
doesn't matter what you done, your sisters, your mom, myself, and
everybody in the family is just wanting to know you're alright. Please,
call, come home,” Jason Doggendorf pleaded. Kaylyn Doggendorf is
5-4, 115 pounds, with blue eyes and shoulder length brown hair. She
was last seen wearing a black hoodie with color splashes, a tank top,
blue jean capri pants, and flat-soled shoes. She doesn't have a
history of running away. If you have any information in this
case, you're asked to call the Whitley County Sheriff's Department
immediately at (260) 244-6410.

A body believed to be that of a missing Whitley
County girl was found Friday night in Kosciusko County, according to a
news release from the Whitley County Sheriff's Department and Whitley
County prosecuting attorney.Kaylin Doggendorf, 14, had been
missing since Wednesday night or Thursday morning. The body was
discovered just inside of Kosciusko County, less than a mile from
Doggendorf's home. An autopsy will be performed to determine the manner
and cause of death.Joshua Wright, 17, has been arrested and will
be charged in her death, according to the release. He is being held in
the Whitley County Jail and will have a hearing in Whitley County
Circuit Court next week.Whitley County is assuming jurisdiction
in the case because police believe Doggendorf was killed in Whitley
County.The Whitley County Sheriff's Department, Kosciusko
Sheriff's Department and Indiana State Police participated in the
investigation.

The last time Jason Doggendorf saw his 14-year-old daughter it was
10:30 p.m. Wednesday and she was talking on the phone with a boy. Cell
phone and computer records show that she was up until about 2 a.m.
arguing with him, her father said. But when her mother came downstairs
to her room about 6 a.m. Thursday to wake her up for school, she was
nowhere to be found. Police discovered Kaylin Michelle
Doggendorf strangled to death Friday night in eastern Kosciusko County,
less than a mile from her home. Joshua Wright, a 17-year-old who lives
at nearby Ridinger Lake, is being held at the Whitley County Jail,
charged with her murder. Exactly what happened to Kaylin
after she disappeared from her parents’ home in northwest Whitley County
early Thursday is unclear – whether she left voluntarily or was
abducted. And authorities aren’t releasing information about her
relationship to Wright and whether she was communicating with him before
her disappearance. Jason Doggendorf said his daughter
knew Wright but didn’t seem to like him much and the two were not
dating. After her disappearance, police dogs picked up the girl’s scent
outside their home, though the trail didn’t lead anywhere promising.
There were no signs of forced entry, and Doggendorf said he’s a light
sleeper and would have heard any struggle inside the house. The
case confounded both authorities and Doggendorf’s parents at first.
There was no immediate evidence that she was in danger, and she had no
history of running away from home, Sheriff Mark Hodges said. Police
initially worked the case as a runaway child. And Doggendorf’s parents
began to hope desperately that’s all it was. But as the time grew later
Thursday and into Friday, so did their worry, her father said. “You’re
hopeful that school would get out and she’d come back, but that time
came and went,” Jason Doggendorf said. “Then dinnertime comes and is
gone and she’s still not back.”Her parents organized a
news conference in front of television cameras Friday afternoon to ask
for their daughter’s safe return. And police stepped up
their search for the girl. Neighbors said an Indiana State Police
airplane circled the area Friday and officers from several departments
stepped up their presence. Jason Doggendorf talked softly
about his daughter at his home on the Whitley-Kosciusko county line
Saturday afternoon. He smiled as he recalled helping her
develop her softball skills. She played third base and catcher and had a
knack for it – though she waffled, as any teenager, between loving
softball and wanting to drop it entirely, he said. He said
has been encouraged by the outpouring of support his family has
received from friends and neighbors. A memorial for Doggendorf on
Facebook, which started with just eight people, had grown to more 2,100
by Saturday night. Jason Doggendorf said he was proud of
his daughter’s work in school. She was already preparing for college. Jerry
Klausing, principal of Whitko Middle School, where Doggendorf was an
eighth-grader, said she was a good, solid student who stayed out of
trouble and had a tight group of friends. Klausing, at the
request of police, gathered Doggendorf’s belongings from her locker and
looked through them for clues. He found nothing out of the ordinary in
her planner. Just a reminder written on St. Patrick’s Day: “Wear
flipflops,” it said.It was the last day she went to
school.

This is about 15 miles from where I live and Kaylin went to the same school my kids did...It is so heartbreaking...we are planning a vigil. Her mother works at the same place I did and is a wonderful person. The boy, Joshua has been in trouble with the law for a couple years and has known to stalk other girls much younger than him. Please keep the family in your prayers...

Indiana's NewsCenter Fort Wayne, Indiana




Missing 14-Year-Old Girl's Death Ruled A Murder



Originally printed at http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/88718232.html
WHITLEY COUNTY, Ind. (Indiana's NewsCenter)

- The Whitley County Coroner says 14-year-old Kaylin Doggendorf was murdered by being strangled to death.
Her body was discovered Friday, less than a mile from her Pierceton, Indiana home.
Joshua Wright, 17, has been arrested and will be charged in her death.
Wright is currently in the Whitley County Jail and will likely have a hearing early next week in the Whitley Circuit Court.
Kaylin, who went missing from her home Wednesday evening was believed to have left on her own free will according to the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department.
Autopsy results released Saturday afternoon revealed the teenage girl was murdered by strangulation and suffocation.
Meanwhile, Whitley County community members say they are learning their small town is not immune from tragedy.
"Just because you live in a small town is no sign that bad things can't happen. I'm very sorry for the family," said Marcia Clupper.
"Too many things have happened that we just need to be alert, be careful where we send our kids and when we send our kids," said Sharon Pequignot.

A Whitley County teen admitted to investigators he raped and killed
Kaylin Doggendorf and then led deputies to where he had hidden her body,
according to Whitley County Circuit Court records filed Monday.Joshua
Wright, 17, who lives near Ridinger Lake, made an initial court
appearance Monday afternoon when he was read the charges against him:
murder and rape.


The body of Doggendorf, 14, of Pierceton,
was found Friday night less than a mile from her house – after Wright
led deputies to that location. Her death was ruled a homicide, the
second for Whitley County this year.According to court
records, Wright told Whitley County sheriff’s deputies that he killed
Doggendorf after he broke into her home early Thursday. He also told
detectives he grabbed her by the throat and strangled her. Wright also
said he had non-consensual sex with Doggendorf. It was
unclear from court records where these events took place or in what
order. Officials from both the sheriff’s department and Whitley County
Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment further on the case Monday.Doggendorf’s
father, who reported her missing Thursday, previously had said the last
time he saw his daughter at their home was about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday,
when she was talking on the phone with a boy. It is unclear whether that
was Wright, who is described as an “acquaintance” of Doggendorf’s in
court records.Meanwhile, a plea of not guilty was entered
on Wright’s behalf when he made his court appearance Monday. Wright is
being held without bail at the Whitley County Jail. His next court
appearance is scheduled for April.A Whitko Middle School
student, Doggendorf was a member of the Girl Scouts of America and was a
softball player in the Pierceton Youth League. She also sang in her
school’s choir. She is survived by her parents and two sisters.Funeral
arrangements are being handled by McHatton-Sadler Funeral Chapel in
Warsaw. Visitation is from 2 to 8 p.m. today at the chapel. A service
will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at North Manchester Church of the Brethren.
Memorial contributions can be given to a fund in the name of “The
Doggendorf Family” at Beacon Credit Union in Warsaw.

A Pireceton County couple is
anxious to find out exactly how a teenager allegedly broke into their
house, raped and killed their 14-year-old daughter.
Kaylin Doggendorf was reported
missing Thursday and found dead the next day. Joshua Wright,
17-years-old, was arrested for her murder. He appeared in court for the
first time Monday morning.
"There aren't words to describe it,” shares Kaylin’s mother, Linbeth
Doggendorf. “You have to do what you have to do and then when
everything is done, then you can cope the best you can."
The Doggendorfs say they last saw
their daughter Wednesday night and then she was gone when they woke up
Thursday morning.
"To us, right now, it's a mystery of what happened,” explains Jason Doggendorf, Kaylin’s father. “There's
at least a four hour span right there that we have no idea what
happened."
Police say they have an idea.



They say Joshua Wright admitted to breaking into Kaylin’s home, raping,
strangling and killing her. Wright led police to where he hid Kaylin’s
body—behind a barn across the road from the Doggendorf’s home.
Wright appeared in Whitley County
Circuit Court Monday morning, where he was read his murder charges and
was assigned a public defender. Wright is scheduled to be back in court
on April 19th.
"I was sitting and watching his
face as the charges were read off and just no change in facial
expressions at all. That’s disturbing to me," Kaylin’s father, Jason,
shares. "Life without parole. Yes, life without parole would be about
the only real form of justice."
Kaylin’s parents describe her as
loving, smart, outgoing and adventurous. She also leaves behind two
younger sisters.
"The world's going to miss out on a
great person. She was a wonderful kid and turning to be quite the
young lady.”
Kaylin’s bus driver says it’s very
sad and strange to have an empty seat on the bus.
"Very shocking. I have a lot of
mixed feelings and mixed emotions. Very hard," says Kaylin’s bus
driver, Mary Burelison. "The kids cried all the way to school this
morning. The newscast kept coming on the radio this morning and they
became totally silent whenever it came on and they listened. I saw a
bunch of my kids hug and hold hands and group together as a bunch of
really neat people."
Mary remembers the last time she
saw Kaylin as she got off the bus Wednesday afternoon.
"When she went to get off the bus
she looked at me and said, 'I love you Mary.' And I said, 'I love you
too big dog.'"
To keep Kaylin’s memory alive,
Mary posted a picture of murdered teen on the back of the bus.
"Kaylin rode with us everyday this
year, last year. She's going to ride with us for the rest of the year.
And she rode in the back of my bus and that's where she's gonna ride."
The viewing for Kaylin is Tuesday
from 2-8 p.m. at McHatton-Sadler Funeral Chapel in Warsaw. The funeral
will be at Manchester Church of the Brethren at 11 o’clock on Wednesday.
A memorial fund to help pay for funeral expenses has been set up at
Beacon Credit Union in Warsaw.

The funeral is set for the Whitley County girl who was killed. 14-year-old
year old Kaylin Doggendorf went missing Wednesday and her body was
found a mile away from her home in the woods, Friday. 17-year-old
Joshua Wright was arrested Friday for Doggendorf's murder.

Her
funeral has been scheduled to start at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at North
Manchester Church of the Brethren and she will be buried at Hillcrest
Cemetery, Pierceton. Her viewing is scheduled for Tuesday from 2
to 8 p.m. at the McHatton-Sadler Funeral Chapel, Warsaw. The
family asks instead of flowers, to send money to: The Doggendorf Family,
c/o Beacon Credit Union, 2514 East Center Street, Warsaw, IN 46580.

August 18, 2010

The trial for a Kosciusko County teenager accused of raping and
killing a 14-year-old Whitley County girl has been postponed until
January.
Joshua M. Wright of northeastern Kosciusko County will now face his
trial Jan. 25 for the death of Kaylin Doggendorf of northwestern rural
Whitley County.
Wright faces charges of murder, rape, burglary and removal of a body
from the scene of a crime in the March 18 death of Doggendorf.
Wright was scheduled to go to trial in September, but more psychological
evaluations need to be completed and the trial date was postponed.
According to the affidavit, Wright allegedly broke into Doggendorf’s
parents’ basement to get to her bedroom and then raped her and killed
her.
Doggendorf died from asphyxia due to strangulation and suffocation, according to the autopsy report.
In mid-June, the Whitley County Prosecutor’s Office filed a notice that life without parole may be sought in the case.

Last updated: February 10, 2011 7:27 p.m.

Whitley County teen agrees to 100-year sentence




A Whitley County teen pleaded guilty Thursday to multiple charges in the slaying of a 14-year-old girl last year, agreeing to a 100-year prison sentence.
Joshua M. Wright, 18, pleaded guilty but mentally ill in Whitley Circuit Court to murder, rape, burglary and removing a body from a scene. Wright, who lived near Ridinger Lake, admitted to killing 14-year-old Kaylin “Kay” Doggendorf after breaking into her house near the Whitley-Kosciusko county line.
The girl’s father reported her missing March 18, having last seen her about 10:30 p.m. the night before inside the family home, talking on the phone with a boy.
It was unclear from court documents whether that boy was Wright, who was known to Doggendorf, or where it was he raped and strangled her. Wright led police to Doggendorf’s body less than a mile from her home in the evening of March 19.
He told police he broke into her home in the early hours of March 18. Wright grabbed her by the throat and strangled her and later admitted to having non-consensual sex with her, according to court documents.
Wright had been scheduled to stand trial earlier this year on charges of murder, felony murder, Class A-felony charges of burglary and rape and a Class D felony charge of removal of a body, according to court documents.
But under the terms of a plea agreement filed Thursday, the charges of rape and burglary were reduced to Class B felonies, according to court documents.
If a judge accepts the plea agreement, Wright will be sentenced to 62 years in prison for the murder, an additional 18 years in prison for the rape and another 18 years for the burglary. He would serve two years in prison on the charge of removing a body.
All the sentences would be served one after another for a total of 100 years in prison, according to court documents.
In exchange for Wright’s guilty plea, Whitley County Prosecutor Matt Rentschler withdrew his petition to have the teen sentenced to a term of life in prison without parole. The felony murder charge was also dismissed, according to court documents.
Wright will be sentenced in March, according to prosecutors.

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110210/LOCAL03/110219939/1002/LOCAL

Last updated: March 28, 2011 12:02 p.m.

Rape, murder of 14-year-old draws 100-year sentence


A Whitley County man was sentenced Monday to 100 years in prison for the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl last March.
Joshua M. Wright, 18, who lived near Ridinger Lake, pleaded guilty but mentally ill in February to murder, rape, burglary and removing a body from a scene.
The plea meant Wright admitted killing Kaylin "Kay" Doggendorf after breaking into her house near the Whitley-Kosciusko county line. The two knew each other.

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