Grandma Talks To Daughter, Disappears

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Cops say missing grandmother Renee Kyles vanished off the streets of Kalamazoo, Mich. in September of 2007.

September 8, 2007 was like any other day for LaJoya Newton. She had no way of knowing it would be the last time that she would ever see her mother, Renee Lynette Kyles.

The mom and daughter visited into the late afternoon that Saturday at LaJoya's Kalamazoo, Mich. home. When they parted ways, everything seemed normal. Renee told LaJoya she was headed to a friend's house to watch a Western Michigan University football game. LaJoya said goodbye and left.  Neighborhood eyewitnesses say they watched her mother get into a black Pontiac Vibe outside of her Portage Street home.

But no one knows what happened next; no one saw Renee after that conversation.

Report Filed

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This is an older picture of missing woman Renee Kyles. She was last seen in Kalamazoo, Mich.

After more than a week of not hearing from her mother, LaJoya approached Kalamazoo Police and filed a missing persons report on her mother.

Two days later, on Renee's birthday, cops found her abandoned Toyota Camry on a busy city street.  The window had been broken out, but it was unclear if anything had been stolen from inside the car.

In the trunk, Renee's clothes and a suitcase were found.  Cops think that if she wanted to disappear, she would have taken them with her.  Although there were no signs of foul play in the car, detectives fear that Renee is the victim of something criminal.

Police have tried to track Renee's whereabouts over the few days before her disappearance.  They say she was caught on video at a local hotel on Friday, September 7.  A couple of friends saw her on the morning of the 8, but the last known sighting of Renee was her visit with LaJoya in the afternoon.

Detectives are also trying to track down Renee's dental records.  They are hoping that a dentist or a dental hygienist who previously worked on Renee will recognize her picture.  Renee had lived in Kalamazoo for many years, but prior to that was a native of Chicago.

Reward Offered

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Missing grandmother Renee Kyle's car was recovered two days after she was officially reported missing. Kalamazoo cops say that aside from this broken window, there was no sign of foul play in the Toyota Camry.

Family members say they usually hear from Renee at least once a day on the phone, but, since the sighting on September 8, no one has heard from her.

Police say they have had an additional possible sighting of Renee in an SUV that could be a Nissan Pathfinder.  They are looking for any additional information to support the sighting.

Kalamazoo cops think that someone knows something and they're so certain that they are offering a reward for anyone with information on Renee's disappearance.

Children, grandchildren, and even a mother in her 80s are anxiously awaiting any word on their loved one.  They are banking on someone coming forward so they can finally bring Renee home.