Who is Kayla Nicole Rice? Missing pregnant Texas woman dumped in grave was convicted of sexually assaulting boy
VINTON, LOUISIANA: The skeletal remains found in a shallow grave near Vinton, Louisiana, have been identified as that of a Beaumont woman who was reported missing last year. Kayla Nicole Rice, 33, was reported missing in December 2020 and was six months pregnant at the time. She was not seen or heard from since the end of November 2020 and was reported missing by her family living out of state.
Rice's last known address was 1100 block of the McFaddin Avenue Apartments in Beaumont Texas. Police also found her car almost immediately after she had been reported missing and said that it had been "physically altered". While Beaumont Police Detectives spoke with several known associates of Rice, they were not able to locate her.
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On February 12, Beaumont Police Department confirmed on social media that Rice's remains were found in Vinton, Louisiana, on February 11. Rice's death is being investigated by Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana along with Beaumont Police and the FBI. A judge has ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death. No other details were immediately available.
According to the Missing Persons Database, Rice's family last heard from her by phone on November 23, 2020. It also states that her phone was not used after November 29. However, there was suspicious activity after November 23.
No other publicly available information on Rice is available. However, a record for Rice with matching photos was found on Texas Public Sex Offender Registry. According to Rice's record, she was convicted of sexual assault of a child in 2015. It also states that the victim was a 15-year-old male. She was sentenced to six years parole/mandatory supervision. The address for Rice in the registry was listed as McFaddin Avenue. She was registered in the Texas public record in March 2020.
No additional information on Rice was available at the time of reporting.
Anyone with any information about Rice’s death and disappearance is asked to call Beaumont PD on 409 832 1234 or Southeast Texas Crime Stoppers on 409 833 TIPS.