A West Virginia mother told police her 26-year-old daughter had gone to grab snacks at a gas station.
She never came back.
But investigators say the reason Ayla Wind never returned had nothing to do with a gas station — and everything to do with the woman who reported her missing in the first place.
A Daughter Ready for a Fresh Start
Ayla Wind was excited about her future. She had plans to leave West Virginia and move back to Utah to be closer to family. Her bags were practically packed. A new chapter was waiting.
Instead, she never made it out.
The Story That Didn’t Add Up
On May 18, Staci Wind, 50, called authorities and reported her daughter missing. She told investigators Ayla had texted her saying she was stopping at a gas station for snacks.
That was the last anyone had heard from her.
But as investigators dug deeper into phone records and the timeline of events, the story began to fall apart.
A Shallow Grave at Summit Lake
Four days after Ayla was reported missing, law enforcement received a call about human remains discovered near Summit Lake in Greenbrier County, West Virginia.
The remains were found in a shallow grave.
Investigators believe the body had been burned.
The victim was identified as Ayla Wind.
Her Own Mother Arrested
Authorities arrested Staci Wind shortly after. She is now sitting in Central Regional Jail without bond, charged with first-degree murder in her own daughter’s death.
The same woman who called police to report Ayla missing.
The same woman who knew exactly what had happened.
A Family Left Devastated
A GoFundMe has been set up for Ayla’s family as they try to make sense of a loss no family should ever have to face.
Ayla Wind had dreams. She had people waiting for her in Utah. She had a whole life ahead of her.
She deserved to make it there.
