The remains of Kelly Evans, a 54-year-old woman who disappeared from Faulkner County in October 2017, have been positively identified following a recent discovery in rural Enola.
According to the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office, a hunter discovered suspected human remains on December 31, 2025, near White Oak Road — the same area where Evans was last seen before her disappearance. The remains were located near a water runoff channel while the hunter was tracking game.
Authorities conducted an extensive follow-up search involving the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office and Coroner’s Office. Additional remains, clothing, and personal items were recovered during the search operation.
On January 16, 2026, the Arkansas State Crime Lab confirmed a 99.98 percent DNA match identifying the remains as Kelly Evans.
Evans was reported missing by her family on October 16, 2017, after she was last seen at her home on White Oak Road in rural Enola. Family members said the last known contact was through text messages that ended around midnight. Evans reportedly left with a black-and-white zebra-print purse but left behind her wallet and other personal belongings.
Over the past eight years, law enforcement agencies conducted numerous searches using drones, cadaver dogs, aircraft, and ground teams. Despite multiple efforts, no confirmed evidence was located until the hunter’s discovery late last year.
Investigators previously received unconfirmed tips that Evans may have been seen walking toward Greenbrier along Highway 225 East several days after her disappearance, wearing blue jeans and a hat.
Officials say the investigation into Evans’ death remains active. The cause of death has not yet been determined.
Anyone with information related to this case is urged to contact the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office at (501) 450-4917.
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