Kacie Rene Woody was a 13-year-old female from the small community of Holland, Arkansas, whose life was tragically cut short in December 2002. A friendly and outgoing girl, Kacie navigated the world of online chat rooms to connect with others, a common pastime for teenagers at the time. In a Christian-themed chat room, she was introduced to a boy who called himself Dave Fagen and claimed to be 17 years old.
Kacie and 'Dave' quickly formed a bond, communicating frequently through instant messages and phone calls. He gained her trust and sympathy by fabricating a story about having a sick aunt in an Arkansas hospital, a tale that resonated deeply with Kacie, as she had lost her own mother in a car accident years earlier.
The person Kacie believed to be a teenage friend was, in reality, 47-year-old David Leslie Fuller, a man from La Mesa, California. Fuller had meticulously planned the abduction, traveling to Arkansas weeks prior to scout the Woody's home. On the evening of December 3, 2002, while Kacie's father, a police officer, was at work and she was home alone, Fuller put his plan into action. He abducted her from her house, leaving behind few immediate clues. Her friends grew worried when she suddenly stopped responding to instant messages that night, and a massive search was launched when it was clear she was missing.
The investigation swiftly turned to the mysterious 'Dave' after Kacie's friends shared details of their online relationship with law enforcement. Authorities traced phone records and discovered calls to the Woody home from David Fuller. This vital lead allowed them to track his recent movements in Arkansas, including the rental of a minivan and a storage unit in the nearby city of Conway. On December 4, 2002, investigators located the storage unit. As they prepared to enter, a single gunshot was heard from inside. When they gained entry, they found the bodies of both Kacie Woody and David Fuller. The evidence indicated that Fuller had shot and killed Kacie before turning the gun on himself. An autopsy later revealed that Kacie had also been sexually assaulted. Since the lone suspect in her abduction and murder was deceased, no arrests were made.
