Case Details

Photo URLs:

This person was missing Missing Since 07/17/2010

Missing Since:

Missing Since 07/17/2010

Missing From:

Missing From Gravel Switch, Kentucky

Classification:

Classification Endangered Missing

Gender:

Female

Race:

Race White

Date of Birth:

Date of Birth 02/21/1984 (40)

Age:

Age 26 years old

Height and Weight:

Height and Weight 5’4 – 5’6, 160 pounds

Clothing/Jewelry Description:

Clothing/Jewelry Description A white spaghetti-strap top with black dots, dark blue jeans, black heeled sandals and a silver necklace with a cross pendant and two gold baby rings.

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, green eyes. Kara has the following tattoos: stars and the moon on the right side of her neck, a Harley Davidson logo on her left ring finger and a cross with the phrase “West Coast Choppers” and the initials “ADT” on her right ankle. She has a scar on her nose. Kara’s maiden name is Tingle, and some accounts refer to her as Kara Tingle-Rigdon. Her hair was dyed blonde at the time of her disappearance; brown is the natural color.

Details of Disappearance:

Kara disappeared from Gravel Switch, Kentucky on July 17, 2010. She told her family she was meeting a friend and would be back soon. She called her mom at 2:00 am on July 18th, saying she was home, but she never actually returned home or went to work.

Her silver 2009 Pontiac G6 (license plate 381-LAE) was found abandoned on July 25th. It had gas in the tank and the windows were down.

Two months later, police arrested her estranged husband, Bobby Rigdon, his father Joey, and his brother and sister-in-law. The arrests were related to evidence found during the investigation into Kara’s disappearance. The Rigdon family had a history of run-ins with the law. They were known to the police and had been arrested multiple times before. Specifically:

* **Joey Rigdon:** Charged with attempted murder, arson, and other crimes linked to a trailer explosion in 2004.
* **Bobby Rigdon:** Charged with forgery and other crimes. He and his twin brother, Billy, were also involved in a separate kidnapping case from 2005.
* **Billy Rigdon:** Charged with possessing stolen property.
* **Wendy Rigdon (Bobby’s sister-in-law):** Charged with witness intimidation.

Police searched Joey Rigdon’s property after the arrests.

In 2012, Bobby Rigdon murdered a man named Wendell Pyles. He was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to 38 years in prison. The investigation showed that he committed the murder at the request of a motorcycle club leader.

Kara and Bobby were divorced but had reconciled before separating again just before Kara’s disappearance. They had two children together.

Kara’s disappearance remains unsolved, but police suspect foul play, especially given the criminal history and arrests of her husband and his family.

Agency:

Kentucky State Police

Source Links: