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- [00:01]
Narrator/Advertiser
This episode is brought to you by Jack Daniels. Jack Daniels and music are made for each other. They share a rhythm in the craft of making something timeless while being a part of legendary nights. From backyard jams to sold out arenas, there's a song in every toast. Please drink responsibly. Responsibility.org, jack Daniels and Old no. 7 are registered trademarks. Tennessee whiskey, 40% alcohol by volume. Jack Daniel Distillery, Lynchburg, Tennessee. And Doug, here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people.
- [00:33]
Ricky
Customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.
- [00:43]
Narrator/Advertiser
Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us? Cut the camera.
- [00:47]
Ricky
They see us.
- [00:47]
Narrator/Advertiser
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- [01:35]
Ashley
Hey, Crime Salad listeners, I'm Ashley.
- [01:37]
Ricky
And I'm Ricky.
- [01:38]
Ashley
And before we jump in, we have something really fun we would like to invite you to.
- [01:42]
Ricky
We're hosting a crime Salad murder mystery and you'll get to play right along from home.
- [01:48]
Ashley
You'll examine evidence photos, follow clues as they drop in real time, vote on what happens next, and help us guide the investigation as it unfolds live.
- [01:58]
Ricky
So you're not just listening, you're actually part of it. Every decision that you make matters.
- [02:04]
Ashley
Honestly. It's going to be a lot of fun. We're going to put our heads together. We're going to solve a murder mystery.
- [02:09]
Ricky
So you can get your tickets today. Tickets are on sale right now at Pave Live crimesalad. That's Pave Live crimesalad. And we'll also have a link waiting for you in the episode description.
- [02:22]
Ashley
Get in something comfy, grab your favorite snacks, and come solve a murder mystery with us.
- [02:27]
Ricky
All right, and now for today's episode.
- [02:35]
Ashley
The story we're getting into today takes us to Aetna, Pennsylvania, a small town bordering the city of Pittsburgh. At the center of this story is a father named Jason Oling, whose determination to find answers for his daughter has never faded. His daughter, 20 year old Kayleen Oling, was was last heard from on January 10th of 2020 under circumstances that raised immediate concern for her family. For years, this case stalled with little movement. Then, In March of 2023, Kayleen's remains were discovered in a wooded area miles from where she was last seen. Now, before we go any further, we want to be clear about something. Much of what we are sharing today doesn't come from official statements or detailed police supported documents. Instead, it comes from her father, Jason Oling, who has been vocal and open about his search for answers. He's been very vocal publicly and has shared Kayleen's story widely through social media, other podcasts and local news stations. We were also able to reach out to Jason ourselves to confirm the details in this episode. Ricky and I both think that it's important to point out up front that this is one of those cases where the family is carrying most of the weight when it comes to telling the story. There is not a lot of public information from law enforcement, so a lot of the details we can't say are confirmed or reported by the police. Instead, a big part of this story is family accounts coming from Jason, who is Kayleen's father himself. Even with the recovery of her remains, investigators have not identified a cause or a manner of death and no one has been charged. And that uncertainty has left Jason pushing forward, driven by love and the belief that there are still answers out there waiting to be found. And the people who love Kayleen, they're left searching for the truth that has been missing for far too long. Along with that, please be warned that some details in this episode may be triggering for listeners. The small river towns of Etna and Millville sit on opposite banks of the Allegheny River. These are old mill communities where the hum of Traffic from Route 28 mixes with the sound of trains clattering past the river. It was January 2020, and the weather felt strangely mild for the middle of winter. On January 9th. Temperatures reached about 45 degrees before dipping to 16 that night. And by the next day, the high climbed to the mid-50s, an early thaw that made the riverbank slick with mud. And somewhere between those two quiet towns, a young woman vanished.
- [05:25]
Ricky
In the days that followed, a family's world collapsed with unanswered calls, sleepless nights, and years of searching that would take them from Aetna's riverfront streets to a wooded hillside miles away.
- [05:41]
Ashley
Kayleen Marie Oling was born on August 6, 1999 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Tiffany Young and J. Jason Oling. After speaking with Jason, he wanted us to set the record straight on where Kayleen primarily lived. A lot of accounts state that she lived in Aetna with her mother. However, she would visit her mom and siblings in Aetna, and she lived primarily with her father in Lawrence County. Her family describes her as a tomboy from the very beginning. She was the kind of kid who never let a dress keep her from climbing trees or playing in the dirt. And she loved to be outside. She caught grasshoppers, played in the woods, and spent her summer nights at her mother's family camp, where she fished, swam, and sat around the fire long after dark. And Kayleen also had a bright spirit. Her family members say she could walk into any room and instantly make friends and that she had a way of connecting with people without even trying. One memory her mother shared was how Kayleen would set up sleepovers on the trampoline, lying under the stars with her friends and watching lightning bugs flicker around them. She was social, warm and full of joy. But the people that Kayleen loved most were her six siblings, Mikayla, Haley, Michael, Cadence, Shane, and Elena. Kayleen took on a big sister role naturally, helping with birthday parties, school events and babysitting, treating her younger siblings and cousins as if they were her own children. Her love for them was fierce, and she never missed a chance to show up when she was needed.
- [07:16]
Ricky
To the people around her, Kayleen was dependable, nurturing, and a young woman who had her whole future in front of her. So when she suddenly disappeared In January of 2020, it shocked everyone. Kayleen wasn't someone who would go days without checking in. And she wouldn't have walked away from so many people that she cared so deeply about.
- [07:36]
Ashley
Right. She did have a future in front of her and people she wouldn't have left behind. Jason explained how Kayleen loved spending time with him and followed in some of his footsteps. He spoke about how he was a volunteer firefighter and that Kayleen had been sworn in as a junior volunteer firefighter as well. Jason was also the vice president of a men's group at his church, and Kayleen often helped him set up and tear down events. And she also helped Jason work on his car and make home repairs. She loved getting her hands dirty and learning by experience, especially with her dad. And even though Kayleen had a tomboy side, she loved shopping with her mom and doing girly things. He mentions how they were best friends. She liked to do her siblings hair and makeup. She actually had plans to get her GED and go to cosmetology. School to become a nail tech, even though traditional school wasn't her thing. Her parents and Kayleen were working together to build a future that she wanted.
- [08:38]
Ricky
And to me, that doesn't sound like someone who would just disappear voluntarily. And even on the day that she vanished, she seemed to have a normal night.
- [08:46]
Ashley
Right. So let's talk about that night. The information we have on all of this is allegedly. Again, this is not confirmed police reported information, but according to family accounts, by the night of January 9th of 2020, Kayleen had been living full time with her father in Lawrence county, but still visited her mom in Aetna to spend time with her and also her siblings and to babysit the kids when needed. So on this night, Kayleen was dropped off by her father at her mother's house in Aetna, and at some point she left and went to visit a friend about three miles away, since she didn't have to babysit until the following morning. Now, allegedly, while at this friend's house, Kayleen had been communicating with her ex boyfriend, Michael Mano, throughout the night. The two had broken up two months earlier, and this was because he had cheated on her. Jason described the relationship between Kayleen and Michael as off and on and something that Kayleen had hidden from him, partly because Michael had a complicated past and he was also 25 years older than Kayleen. Apparently, Kayleen had given him many chances in the time they were together, but had reached her breaking point in November of 2019.
- [10:05]
Ricky
According to Jason, he found a pregnancy test on Kayleen's bed at his house in October of 2019, and that's when he learned that she was pregnant with Michael's child. Jason also says that Michael messaged others about the pregnancy and and asked them not to share it with anyone.
- [10:27]
Ashley
On the night of January 9, according to Jason, Kayleen was talking with Mano because he still had a necklace that had belonged to Jason's late mother, something deeply sentimental to her. Jason says both Tiffany and Aetna police told him that Kayleen met up with Mano to get the necklace back. Since Kayleen didn't drive and didn't have a car, Michael reportedly offered to pick her up. At some point later that night, Kayleen got up to leave, telling her friend that she was going to meet someone and would be right back. But according to the friend she was visiting, she never returned that night. Now, there's not a lot of information about what this friend said happened or what her thoughts were when Kayleen didn't return, but we can assume that maybe she figured she decided to go back to her mom's house or whatever the case may be. She wasn't too worried about her returning at this point. But what we do know is that Kayleen was expected to be at her mother's home the next morning to babysit her younger siblings, something she did regularly and had never flaked on before. Also reported by Kayleen's family, Kayleen had allegedly sent a text to her mother at around 1:36am claiming she would be home later that morning to watch the kids. So the next morning, when Kayleen didn't show up to watch her siblings, her mom immediately found that suspicious, which makes total sense.
- [11:52]
Ricky
I mean, it was obvious from everyone around Kayleen that she loved her siblings more than anything. She would even have sibling days where she would go on adventures and spend the whole day together. She was like a mother to them. And just from that, I don't imagine she would just ditch them without a legitimate reason.
- [12:12]
Ashley
Right? According to Jason, Haley noticed that Kayleen's Facebook page had been deactivated by around 2 o' clock in the morning, shortly after the message went out to her mother. By the next morning, Tiffany could see that Kayleen's Facebook was gone and her phone was going straight to voicemail. With no texts or calls, apparently, Tiffany began making calls, trying to piece together where her daughter might be. The friend that Kayleen had been staying with told her that Kayleen had left with Michael Manno the night before and never came back. And this was the moment that Tiffany knew something was terribly wrong. She called Jason, and the two began reaching out in every direction they could think of. Tiffany even tried calling Michael directly. And in this call, Michael said that Kayleen didn't want to talk to her and hung up the phone. And this was also very strange since, I mean, this was her mom. It wasn't typical for her to refuse to talk to her. Something was definitely off.
- [13:10]
Ricky
Tiffany filed the missing person report on January 12, 2020. It had already been three days since her last text message. While the official missing person's report was not filed until January 12, Jason says that he was already taking matters into his own hands on January 10, the same day that Kayleen disappeared, calling around, driving, and trying to track her down himself.
- [13:36]
Ashley
According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Kayleen had been officially missing since January 10th. But since she was 20 years old and an adult, the urgency wasn't immediately reflected in public bulletins. The first major outlet to cover her disappearance didn't do so until April of 2020. Nearly four months later. But Kayleen's family claims a reason for this. The police response began in Aetna, where her mother lived and where Kayleen should have arrived to babysit that morning. Aetna police took the initial report, and according to what Jason has stated, he began emailing Aetna police asking for a copy of the missing persons report, but heard nothing back. According to what Jason told other outlets, Aetna police didn't even submit Kayleen's case to NamUs, the national missing persons database, for two months. Obviously, Jason was outraged by this. According to him, Jason sent an email to the mayor of Aetna asking for disciplinary action against the officers who had handled the report and asking that the case be transferred to Allegheny county detectives instead. But he was refused any type of action.
- [14:49]
Ricky
Eventually, the case was transferred, but the family has always believed it happened far too late. And I agree it's too late to preserve evidence, to track her phone properly, to cover surveillance footage, or even piece together the crucial hours of her disappearance accurately.
- [15:07]
Ashley
So by spring of 2020, Kayleen's case was still active, but police had not announced any public leads. The first real news update didn't arrive until April of 2020, when regional outlets published missing person reminders and re outlined her last known movements. At this point, Aetna police still had control of the case, and they had finally issued a search warrant for the property where Michael Manno lived with his mother and his girlfriend. By then, Jason said that Michael had been in jail, on probation violation. At this point, he'd had months between Kayleen's disappearance and the warrant to dispose of evidence, move things around, or clean up anything investigators might have been looking for. And when officers arrived to serve the warrant, Jason said they did not search the garage. According to him, this is because Michael's girlfriend claimed that there was a vicious dog in the garage. And so the police backed off and never returned to search the garage.
- [16:10]
Ricky
And there could have been crucial evidence in there. And honestly, I've never heard of the police not searching an area of the property just because of a dog. They could have ordered them to restrain it or called animal control, whatever they had to do to get in there.
- [16:26]
Ashley
Well, police have not confirmed that this is what occurred, but if that's what did happen, it's definitely strange. Jason also said that when Aetna police eventually spoke to Michael, he allegedly told investigators that he knew where Kayleen was, that she didn't want to be found, and that he spoke to her once a month from a private number. But for the family. Of course, this claim made no sense. Kayleen would never cut off contact with her loved ones. She would never ghost her siblings, and certainly would never choose Michael, someone she had broken up with, as her point of contact. According to Jason, Aetna police never conducted follow up searches. They never interviewed any key witnesses thoroughly, and they never established a reliable timeline of Kayleen's last movements. And if they were, they were never shared with the family. So on June 15th of 2020, nearly six months after Kayleen disappeared, the case was finally transferred from Aetna police to the Allegheny County Police Department, just like Jason had allegedly requested months earlier.
- [17:33]
Ricky
And at least one good thing is that Jason said the Allegheny County Police Department actually started making some headway in the case. According to him, they had conducted searches with Jason and his trained dogs, served warrants, and began tracking phone activity to piece together a more solid timeline.
- [17:51]
Ashley
According to this timeline, phone records also showed that Michael Mano had made a phone call to a friend at 3:50am but no more confirmed movements for Kayleen. At approximately 3pm Kayleen's mother allegedly called Michael looking for her daughter. And Manno told her that Kayleen didn't want to talk to her and refused to put Kayleen on the phone. But this timeline didn't bring police any closer to making an arrest. As the months passed with no updates from investigators, rumors began circling around Kayleen's disappearance, especially online. One of the most persistent involved strange activity on Kayleen's social media accounts. According to Jason, Kayleen's sister Hailey kept a screenshot of a Facebook post Kayleen made shortly before she disappeared. She mentioned her ex boyfriend committing another robbery. Within about an hour of that post, Kayleen's account was deactivated and her phone began going straight to voicemail. Jason says that the police, they were shown this screenshot but did not investigate that lead. The post was evidently written around the same time that she contacted her mother and right before she left with Michael Mano.
- [19:02]
Ricky
None of this was ever confirmed by police. There was no official statements about the posts, no screenshots released publicly, and no indication from investigators that her account played a role in the case. But for the people who knew Kayleen and for the people following her disappearance, the rumors added more unease.
- [19:22]
Ashley
Right. And their family was doing their best to cope with it, especially Jason Oling. He retired from his job shortly after Kayleen went missing. He couldn't focus on anything except finding his daughter. He threw himself into searching, literally. Jason became certified in search and rescue and even trained a tracking and sniffing dog, hoping to support local law enforcement searches and increase access to cadaver dogs in the region. But nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. This is the time of year everyone is hunting for the perfect deal. And honestly, that is exactly when skimmers get bold. I feel like every holiday season the fake shopping sites get a little more convincing and the sketchy giveaways get a little bit louder. And with how fast everything moves during the holidays, it is easy to miss a red flag. That's why I like that Cash App builds security right into the app. Their 247 fraud monitoring helps detect and alert you for unusual card activity should someone gain access to your card. So you can act fast if something seems off. And one of my favorite things is how you can lock or unlock your Cash App card instantly in the app. It gives you that extra control and peace of mind when everything else feels chaotic. Stay one step ahead of scams this holiday season and keep your money secure with Cash App. For a limited time only new Cash App customers can use our exclusive code to earn some additional cash for real. Just download Cash App Use our exclusive referral code secure 10 in your profile. Send $5 to a friend within 14 days and you'll get $10 dropped right into your account. Terms apply. That's money. That's Cash App. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partners Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank Member FDIC promotions provided by Cash App a Block Incorporated brand. Visit Cash app LegalPodcast for full disclosures.
- [21:33]
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- [23:05]
Ashley
At New Balance, we believe if you run, you're a runner, However you choose to do it. Because when you're not worried about doing things the right way, you're free to discover your way. And that's what running is all about. Run your way@newbalance.com Running. It was March of 2021, more than a year after Kayleen vanished. Jason said he received a series of messages from a Facebook account in Michael Mano's name, the same ex boyfriend Kayleen had been in contact with on the night she disappeared. Jason says that the first thing that came through were explicit photos of Kayleen to her family. It felt like he was taunting them. Jason immediately contacted the police and the district attorney's office, but according to him, they told him there was nothing they could do at that moment because everyone involved at that point was an adult. Later, Jason says investigators obtained a warrant for that Facebook account. And in court, Michael admitted that he used that account to send nude photos of Kayleen to Jason and Haley. So Jason asked Michael directly, why was he sending those photos? And that's when things took an even darker turn. Jason said that Michael then admitted to killing Kayleen, saying that he took care of her. Then he sent a picture of Kayleen's missing person flyer and wrote, too bad you can't search my backyard. He continued to taunt Jason, saying he killed Kayleen, but there was no proof to put him away.
- [24:53]
Ricky
Jason explained that this began a back and forth exchange, each of them threatening the other and talking about meeting up, which in my mind means that Jason was ready to give Michael a piece of his mind. And if I were getting these types of messages, I understand that reaction. But what's worse and what really enrages me is apparently when discussing meeting up to handle business, the account believed to be, Michael asked Jason to bring his daughter Haley with him, saying that he needed fresh meat. And if I were Jason in that moment, I would be seeing red. I would be so Mad, I don't even know what I would do.
- [25:31]
Ashley
I know I literally can't imagine being in his shoes during this exchange. But at least one piece of headway was made when a week later, Michael sent the same nude photos To Jason's 17 year old daughter, which would eventually lead to charges filed against him. In 2021, according to court records and reporting, Michael was charged with corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor, and criminal use of a communication facility in connection with sending explicit images of Kayleen to her underage sister. The case moved through the courts for nearly a year. Then In March of 2022, Michael entered a no contest plea to corruption of minors and the remaining charges were dropped. As part of the agreement, Michael faced a minimum sentence of six months in jail. The Allegheny County District Attorney's office made it clear that Michael Mano was not charged with or publicly implicated in Kayleen's disappearance or death.
- [26:32]
Ricky
Taunting the family like this, it's just sick. And according to reports made from Jason during the proceedings involving the corruption of minor charge, the same account sending the illegal photos to the minor was shown to be the same account that had sent the confession messages to Jason. So if this is the case, why hasn't anything moved forward? To be clear, that connection between the account and the confession messages is Jason's understanding of what was shown during those proceedings. And law enforcement has never publicly confirmed that those confession messages were authored by Michael.
- [27:10]
Ashley
Right. And official outlets have stayed extremely tight lipped about this. So we have no idea why none of this is updated or why it's stalled. But for Kayleen's family, Michael's actions after she disappeared reopened wounds that had barely begun to heal. For more than three years, nothing surfaced in Kayleen's case. Then, on a quiet Sunday afternoon in the early spring of 2023, everything changed. In March of that year, the city of Pittsburgh was working on a sewer project along Washington Boulevard, a steep wooded corridor known for unstable hillsides and runoff. During the construction, part of the slope gave way, causing a landslide to tear through the dirt and expose layers of earth that hadn't seen daylight in years. On March 19, around 2:15, two hunters were walking through that same wooded hillside off the 1200 block of Washington Boulevard, an area in Pittsburgh's Lincoln Belmar Avenue. And while moving through the brush, the hunters spotted what appeared to be a human skull lying along a hillside. They immediately called the police, and soon the area was swarming with investigators from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Allegheny County Police Homicide Unit, and the medical examiner's office. Over the next several hours, investigators recovered additional remains from the hillside, including articles of clothing. This is according to what Jason has reported to news outlets. But at that moment, authorities could not determine the age of the remains or whether they belonged to a man or a woman. All they could confirm was that remains had been discovered and that they had likely been there for some time.
- [28:55]
Ricky
Even though they could not determine who the remains belonged to, Pittsburgh police still contacted Jason about the findings, and Jason immediately brought them photos of the outfit Kayleen had been wearing the night she disappeared.
- [29:08]
Ashley
On March 24th of 2023, the Allegheny County Medical examiner confirmed what Kayleen's family had feared for years through dental records. The remains found off Washington boulevard belonged to 20 year old Kayleen Marie Oling. And according to Jason, the clothing found at the scene had matched exactly what Kayleen was last seen in. This meant that Kayleen likely died the night that she vanished, not months or years later, and certainly not while she was supposedly calling someone once a month from a private number. But Jason was distracted by yet another injustice he faced from the system handling Kayleen's case. The days the remains were confirmed to be Kayleen's, Pittsburgh police told Jason that he could visit the site to place a memorial to Kayleen, or as Jason called her, Kay. According to him, the police had said they completely finished processing the scene while walking the hillside trying to understand the place where she had been found. Jason said he was standing there when he heard his oldest daughter suddenly scream, piercing the forest around them. His daughter said, daddy, am I stepping on my baby sister? According to the report, Jason ran towards her, looking down and seeing a human bone. The realization that it was his daughter's bone, it just hit him so hard that he still quakes from it to this day. Jason said he had only 1% battery left on his phone, but he immediately started a Facebook live where he filmed the area he found his daughter's forearm bone in, which was very close to where her skull was found. He cried and screamed, questioning why Pittsburgh police failed to properly handle the scene.
- [31:00]
Ricky
According to his account, Jason said the area looked anything but processed. He said the hillside wasn't secured, there was no police tape and investigators had not closed the scene. There were latex gloves scattered on the ground and an orange survey flag still stuck into the earth with the word skull.
- [31:20]
Ashley
By the time officials came out to the scene, Jason had found his daughter's forearm bone and shoulder bone. The medical examiner also found one of Kayleen's toes. While he was out there gathering bones that were missed or forgotten. In that moment, Jason said that he couldn't believe it. No one should ever have to find their daughter's bones. And that he couldn't believe that the police left his daughter's bones just laying out in the open. And he still struggles with the thought of it to this day.
- [31:57]
Narrator/Advertiser
Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are back in Disney's Freakier Friday, now streaming on Disney.
- [32:04]
Ashley
We switched bodies. I am freaking out right now. I think I just peed a little.
- [32:09]
Narrator/Advertiser
It's an absolute riot. And the only movie that can be.
- [32:13]
Ashley
Described as so much weirder than the last time. What last time?
- [32:17]
Narrator/Advertiser
It's the Frequel.
- [32:18]
Ashley
You ready?
- [32:18]
Narrator/Advertiser
We've been waiting for that absolutely Slays Disney's Freakier Friday, now streaming on Disney. Rated pg. Where was she? The disappearance of Carrie Farmer was quite unlike any other because Carrie hadn't exactly vanished, but retreated beyond the shadows to release rage in torrents of text messages.
- [32:41]
Ashley
And it just went on and on and on.
- [32:43]
Narrator/Advertiser
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- [33:04]
Ashley
Ah, the Regency era. You might know it as the time when Bridgerton takes place, or it's the time when Jane Austen wrote her books. The Regency era was also an explosive time of social change, sex scandals, and maybe the worst king in British history. Vulgar History's new season is all about the Regency era, the balls, the gowns, and all the scandal. Listen to Vulgar History, Regency Era, wherever you get podcasts. In the days that followed, police returned with cadaver dogs in line, searches combing through the wooded ravine for anything that could help them reconstruct what happened to Kayleen. But no major evidence was publicly disclosed and no person of interest was named. On March 27, the coroner allegedly called Jason to tell him that the newly recovered bones were animal remains, not human. But Jason pushed back. He told the coroner that thousands of people had just watched him live stream those bones from the scene and he didn't believe that they were animal fragments. According to Jason, the coroner said he would consult an anthropologist and get back to him. Three days later, on March 30, Jason said that the coroner called again, this time confirming the bones were indeed Kayleen's. Only after that confirmation, Jason said, did investigators finally rope off the area as the formal crime scene.
- [34:34]
Ricky
Jason filed complaints about what he believed Was malpractice In what could have been an attempt to cover up a major red flag from the coroner. But he was told that the remains portion of the investigation had been transferred from Pittsburgh police to allegheny county and that they no longer had jurisdiction over that part of the case. I mean, you're blocked at every turn. I just feel so bad for what the family is going through here, all.
- [35:01]
Ashley
While trying to figure out how to navigate the reality that their daughter is dead. On April 29, 2023, Kayleen was finally laid to rest. She was cremated due to the state of her remains, but jason still decided to bury her in a casket, Saying she was buried in the woods in a shallow grave for three years without a comfortable bed. And he wanted his daughter to have a comfortable bed to permanently lay, to rest. Just two days later, on May 1, 2023, the Allegheny county medical examiner's office announced their findings. According to wtae, the cause and manner of Kayleen's death Were ruled undetermined.
- [35:42]
Ricky
That means that the medical examiner couldn't determine how she died, Whether the death was accidental, Natural, suicidal, or homicidal, or even the extent of her injuries Due to the condition of her remains. So all her family knows is that she died, but not how or why.
- [36:00]
Ashley
And we've talked about this in other cases. But when remains are located outdoors, after months or years, the medical examiner often has almost nothing to work with. Without soft tissue, examiners lose access to bruising, Ligature marks, Internal bleeding, Organ damage, or any evidence of injuries. Kayleen disappeared in early January of 2020, and her remains weren't found until March of 2023, more than three years later. That means three years of temperature swings and animal activity, all of which affects decomposition. Unless there are clear fractures, Cut marks, Bullet wounds, or tool impressions, Bones often don't show what caused a person's death. And in Kayleen's case, none of those were publicly reported.
- [36:50]
Ricky
Legally, an undetermined ruling isn't a dead end, but it makes prosecution or solving anything extremely difficult. Investigators need evidence of a homicide, medical event, or an accident, but without definitive cause, there's nothing for them to go on. And that's why you hear families say that a case can't move forward until the manner of death changes, since an undetermined ruling leaves the case open but stalled. And that's literally what's happening here.
- [37:20]
Ashley
Despite these findings, Kayleen's family continued to search for answers After Kayleen's remains were uncovered, Returning to the neighborhood where her body was found, With Allegheny county homicide detectives looking for more evidence, but uncovering nothing. In November of 2023, eight months after Kayleen's remains were identified, her family and supporters gathered in New Castle, Pennsylvania, carrying signs, chanting her name and demanding answers. According to reporting from the New Castle News, the protest was held outside the Lawrence County Government center, where demonstrators called on investigators to release more information about Kayleen's death and treat her case with the urgency they believed it deserved. Among the crowd were people holding signs that read justice for Kayleen and her life mattered. Others held posters of her smiling face, reminders of the daughter, sister, and friend they lost. Several of the protesters traveled from different counties to be there, many of whom didn't even know Kayleen personally, but felt compelled to show support after learning about the stalled investigation.
- [38:30]
Ricky
Speakers at the protests pushed that Kayleen's case deserved answers. They asked why there's been no significant updates since her identification, why crucial details of her disappearance were still unknown after nearly four years. And they demanded that law enforcement treat Kayleen's death with the seriousness that it deserved. And we're still experiencing that.
- [38:53]
Ashley
And during this gathering, Jason said that investigators had a person of interest in the case, but said it's up to the District Attorney's office to sign the arrest warrant. He also told reporters that more information would be released in the coming weeks, saying that investigators had been consulting with forensic specialists from Mercyhurst University in Erie, a program well known for its work in forensic anthropology. He didn't expand on what those specialists were reviewing, only that progress was being made behind the scenes. Jason also said that the person of interest had a personal relationship with Kayleen, as well as a long criminal history. And according to Jason, this same person was tied directly to the property where Kayleen's remains were discovered and claimed that this person had messaged him on social media, claiming responsibility in Kayleen's death.
- [39:46]
Ricky
Yeah, and I think it's pretty obvious who Jason is talking about during this press release. And according to family accounts, the site where Kayleen's remains were found was just a few yards away from a property owned by Pascal Mano, which, judging from the last name, you can probably guess who that might be.
- [40:05]
Ashley
And over the years, Jason's frustration with the investigation grew, and much of that anger was directed at the Allegheny County District Attorney's office, led at the time by Stephen Zappella. Jason has said publicly, both protests and post on his nonprofit page, that he believes investigators have enough information to move forward and that the DA's office is delaying that next step. And frustrations with the DA's office weren't unique to Jason. Stephen Zappala has been a controversial figure in Allegheny county for years, facing public criticism for case delays, inconsistent charging decisions and strained relationships with families seeking justice. One of the most publicized incidents came in 2021, when an African American defense attorney accused the DA's office of being systematically racist. In response, allegedly, Zappala issued a memo bearing plea offers to that attorney's client, a move widely criticized as retaliatory. But Stephen Zappala has defended his office by saying that policies are meant to be consistent, evidence based and to avoid false claims of racism.
- [41:15]
Ricky
So when Jason Oling said that the DA's office was delaying his daughter's case, he's adding to a history of local cases where families felt that justice was out of reach and where many believe that systemic factors clouded the process. But the DA's office released a statement When a body is discovered years after a disappearance, prosecutors have to move carefully, methodically and deliberately to ensure there is not only admissible evidence to identify a suspect, but also to link them the criminal acts that caused the death of the victim.
- [41:50]
Ashley
Even after the ruling, Allegheny county police emphasized that Kayleen's case remains open and active, and the district attorney's office has said they continue to review evidence and follow leads. But without a cause of death, investigators haven't named any suspects. They haven't released any new information. Her family has said repeatedly that they believe someone knows what happened and that someone out there can still come forward, even though police have not publicly named him as a suspect and they have not stated that Kayleen's remains were found on property linked to him or his family. Jason and other family members have said that they believe one person in particular may hold the answers to what happened to her. Their belief is based on their own experiences, their interactions that they described, and the individual's extensive criminal history, which includes charges such as arson, theft, auto theft, statutory sexual assault, reckless endangerment, corruption of minors and aggravated assault. And this is all according to publicly available records.
- [43:00]
Ricky
These charges cross multiple state lines and date all the way back to 1994. And it really makes you wonder how someone with a history like that stays under the radar for so long.
- [43:12]
Ashley
From the moment Kayleen was reported missing on January 12, her family never stopped searching for her. Her father, Jason Oling, her mother, Tiffany Young, her siblings, extended family members and volunteers in the Aetna and Shaler communities spent months posting flyers, organizing searches and pleading for information. Over the years, Jason has described not knowing what happened to his daughter as a nightmare that has never let up. Even as hope wavered, the family kept pushing because Kayleen was not the kind of person who would disappear on her own. She was deeply connected to her siblings, especially the younger ones she helped care for, so the idea that she would just walk away from them just never made any sense. During the first year of her disappearance, the family held vigils, anniversary gatherings and public awareness events to keep her story circulating. And at the one year mark in January of 2021, they told news outlets they were desperate for answers and worried that time was working against them.
- [44:14]
Ricky
In a 2021 interview with WPXI, Kayleen's uncle Paul Young said the family was large and close knit and that losing Kayleen left a hole that they were all trying to fill. He attended vigils, shared flyers and stayed active in online groups trying to keep her story alive.
- [44:33]
Ashley
Despite police acknowledging early on that her disappearance might involve foul play, the family rarely received updates. Much of their effort became about pushing the story forward themselves. And on what would have been Kayleen's 25th birthday, Jason stood outside the Allegheny County Police headquarters alongside State Representative Marla Brown, his daughter Elena and supporters who had followed the case. Standing beside Representative Brown, Jason said he had never had political support until that moment and how much it meant to finally be heard.
- [45:06]
Ricky
For Representative Brown, someone known for her work in child protection and anti sex trafficking efforts, the show up that day says a lot about how concerning this case looks from the outside.
- [45:19]
Ashley
At the rally, Jason said the investigation had given him little to no answers for years. Representative Brown said that she chose to support Jason after hearing his story and wanted to help amplify it. She said Jason had been working tirelessly to find his daughter's killer and no parent should ever have to bury their child. Reporters noted that Brown began contacting additional state officials, including Representative Daniel Deasy of Allegheny County. Meanwhile, Jason continued reaching out to every agency that he could think of the FBI, the US Attorney General's office, Pennsylvania's US Senators even planning a trip to Washington, D.C. trying to get someone to listen. The US Attorney's office for the Western District of Pennsylvania declined to comment on whether they had interest in the case.
- [46:08]
Ricky
Lawrence County District Attorney Joshua Lamencusa publicly confirmed that he has made calls on Jason's behalf and supports his effort to secure justice for his daughter and Representative.
- [46:20]
Ashley
Brown echoed that, saying she intended not only to support Jason emotionally, but to help him demand answers from investigators and the District Attorney's office. Jason made it clear that he wasn't slowing down on September 18th of 2024, he launched a GoFundMe page to purchase land near where Kayleen's remains were found so that he could create a permanent memorial, a place the city cannot remove. As he says has already happened, that page is still active today. But even as the family continued pushing forward, there was still no visible movement in the case. By January of 2025, Kayleen's family again stood before cameras, saying they still believed someone knew what happened and pleading that after so many years, anyone with information come forward. Jason said he still visits the hillside where Kayleen was found, not because it's where he wants to remember her, but because it's the closest thing he has to her final resting place. Her sister Haley told reporters that she still texts Kayleen's phone, sometimes even knowing that she'll never reply. And that's where her case stands today. But before we wrap things up, we would like to talk about something really important. Kayleen's case is still open, it's still active, and her family is still fighting for answers. That means that there are things you who are listening right now can actually do to help.
- [47:46]
Ricky
So the first one is simple. Share this episode with a friend, post it in local community groups or on your social media with the hashtag JusticeForKaylene. The more people who hear her name, the harder it is for this case to just fade into the background.
- [48:02]
Ashley
You can also follow and support the pages her family uses to keep her story alive. That includes KMNO Help for the Missing and Murdered, justice for Kayleen and Vote for Jason Oling. We will have those linked in our show notes. Even a like a follow or share helps push her story in front of new eyes.
- [48:23]
Ricky
If you live in Pennsylvania, especially Allegheny county, you can take it a step further. You can contact the Allegheny County DA's office or your local state representatives and respectfully ask that Kayleen Marie Ohling's case remains a priority. You don't have to accuse anyone. You can simply say that you care about this case and that you want to see progress and transparency.
- [48:47]
Ashley
And if you know something, even if it feels small or like it might not matter, please reach out. If you have any information regarding the disappearance or death of Kayleen Marie Ohling, contact the Allegheny County Police homicide unit at 412-473-1200 or you can submit an anonymous tip through the Allegheny County Crime Watch tip line@legheny.crimewatchpa.com we also want to.
- [49:16]
Ricky
Be really clear about this. We're not asking anyone to harass, threaten or confront anyone connected to the case. The goal is to support the family, share verified information, and push the people in power to do their jobs.
- [49:31]
Ashley
As we mentioned before, Jason, he also has created a GoFundMe to build a permanent memorial near where Kayleen was found. And this is so that the city cannot keep taking down her memorial. If you are in a position to help, that link will also be in our show notes. Even if you cannot donate, sharing also helps.
- [49:51]
Ricky
Cases like this often move because regular people refuse to let them be forgotten. So if you're listening and you feel angry or heartbroken about what happened to Kayleen, please turn that feeling into something active. Share, call, email, follow, and keep her name in circulation.
- [50:11]
Ashley
Kayleen deserves justice and peace, and someone out there still knows the truth. Thank you for listening to this episode of Crime Salad. If you want to support the show and help us continue to cover cases like Kayleen's, do not forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with a friend. It costs nothing and it really does help bring more eyes to the stories that need them most. We will see you next time.
- [50:53]
Narrator/Advertiser
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- [51:01]
Ashley
Welcome to the Fear Archive, the podcast that digs through case files and cult classics to uncover the real crimes of that inspired your favorite horror movies. We're funny, we're obsessive, and we're not afraid to get our hands dirty because.
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Narrator/Advertiser
The films, pure fiction. But the bodies, they're always real.
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Ashley
The Fear Archive of Violet Hour Media.
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Narrator/Advertiser
Podcast Follow now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen right now on the infamous America Podcast. The disappearances started with a mother and daughter. They were followed by two sisters from Texas, and then three children from the same family. And in between, according to the lore, there were dozens more. During a sensational murder trial, the legend of H.H. holmes grew from sleazy con man to one of America's most notorious and prolific killers. But how much was true? The story of H.H. holmes is happening now on the infamous America podcast.
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Ashley
Hello?
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Narrator/Advertiser
Hello?
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Ashley
Can you hear me? Please, we need help. People are dying out here. This is an emergency.
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Narrator/Advertiser
I see the moon.
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Ashley
What? The moon sees me.
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Hello? Hey, Michael.
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Ashley
It's iffy. How's the shoot?
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Narrator/Advertiser
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Ashley
Anything good? Lots of moose, fox, owls. We're packing up tonight and we'll start the hike back to Alagash in the morning.
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Narrator/Advertiser
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Ashley
Is anyone here? Somebody help me.
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Ricky
You don't need to make this difficult.
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Narrator/Advertiser
She's not.
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Ashley
She's not.
- [52:52]
Narrator/Advertiser
Look, there's no hurt. The white vault. Goshawk.