In the late afternoon of September 29, 2002, a report was made concerning the disappearance of a four-year-old girl named Kynande Kalehje Bennett. Her mother, Vartasha McCullough, claimed that her daughter was last seen at a K-Mart store in Whiteville, North Carolina, at approximately 5:00 p.m. Kynande, a young African American female with brown hair and brown eyes, was described as being three feet ten inches tall and weighing ninety pounds.
She had a noticeable seashell-shaped birthmark on her arm and her ears were pierced. On the day she was reported missing, her hair was styled in small braids, and she was said to be wearing a gray FUBU t-shirt, blue jeans, white socks, and black sneakers. The family resided in Conway, South Carolina, and were reportedly in Whiteville to visit Kynande's uncle.
The initial account provided by Kynande's mother began to unravel as investigators delved into the circumstances of the young girl's disappearance. Vartasha McCullough's story shifted; at first, she stated that Kynande vanished from an aisle in the K-Mart, but later amended her account, saying she believed her daughter was following her into the store, only to turn around and find her gone. However, a thorough review of the store's video surveillance footage yielded no images of Kynande, and no witnesses could recall seeing the child with her mother that day. This lack of evidence led investigators to believe that Kynande may have never been in Whiteville at all. Further raising suspicion, no one other than Kynande's parents had reportedly seen her in the two days leading up to her reported disappearance. Concerns for Kynande's welfare had been raised prior to her vanishing, with her grandparents contacting Conway police on the very day she was reported missing to voice their fears that she was being abused. Witnesses had also reported seeing bruises and cuts on Kynande in the days before she went missing.
As the investigation progressed, the focus turned towards Kynande's parents. Their behavior was described as uncooperative, and they reportedly showed little interest in the developments of the search for their daughter. A significant breakthrough in the case came with the discovery of biological evidence at the family's apartment in Conway. DNA from this evidence was matched to Kynande, suggesting that a violent event had taken place within the residence. This discovery, coupled with the other inconsistencies and reports of abuse, led to the arrest of both Vartasha McCullough and Kynande's father, Kevin Bennett, in February 2003. They were charged with homicide by child abuse, with investigators asserting that the DNA evidence proved Kynande had died in Conway and was never taken to Whiteville on the day of her reported disappearance.
The legal proceedings that followed brought a partial resolution to the tragic case, though Kynande's whereabouts remain unknown. In October 2005, the charges against Kevin Bennett were dropped due to a lack of sufficient evidence. Vartasha McCullough, however, faced trial and in February 2006, a jury found her guilty of homicide by child abuse, unlawful neglect of a child, and inflicting great bodily harm. The prosecution put forward the theory that Kynande's death was the unintentional result of abuse, and that her mother had panicked and attempted to hide what had happened. Vartasha McCullough was sentenced to twenty years in prison. Despite the conviction, the search for Kynande has never officially ended. Her body has never been recovered, leaving a lingering sense of sorrow and unanswered questions in a case that began as a missing person report and concluded as a homicide investigation.Last Seen: Sep 29, 2002
