OR KAYLEE BIRT: Missing from Fields, OR (while on road trip from Oregon to Iowa) - 4 April 2025 - Age 29

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29-year-old on solo trip across US leaves burger joint and vanishes, OR cops say​

A 29-year-old vanished on a solo trip across the country after she last seen leaving a burger joint in Oregon, deputies said.

Kaylee Birt disappeared April 4, the Harney County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.

Birt left the The Fields Station in her gold 2008 Chevy Malibu with an Oregon license plate of GW21073, deputies said.

The Fields Station is a restaurant, store, motel and gas station in Fields, which is a remote and unincorporated community in southeastern Oregon.

She was headed to Iowa, deputies said, but her vehicle was discovered abandoned April 6 in a remote part of Harney County in Oregon, deputies said.

Deputies said they determined a location where her cell phone last pinged, and they searched the area but couldn’t find her.

Search teams looked for her for seven days by “air, ground, UTV, drone, foot and horseback,” deputies said.

However, authority-led search efforts ended April 10.

“The Sheriff’s Office will post signage near Kaylee’s last known location, informing visitors to the area to be vigilant of any potential evidence,” deputies said.


Media - KAYLEE BIRT: Missing from Fields, OR (while on road trip from Oregon to Iowa) - 4 April 2025 - Age 29
 
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At lunchtime, she was undecided how she'd get to Iowa and then within a few hours, she's texting that she'll be back in a few days.
Hello? The notion that she could drive to Iowa and be back in a few days is absurd, indeed, impossible, so I think right off the bat, she was showing that she wasn't in a right state of mind.
 
Tresir said:
Her phone wasnt working anymore so she probably had lost any map feature she was using. Her car still had fuel when found - half a tank. The road she was on had washed out so did she leave her car to camp the night or go to the loo, get lost, give up or what? I bet she had no other map so when her phone failed she couldn't navigate. The rancher called authorities as he was worried about her and called her grandma apparently. He gave her 3 gallons but she couldnt find the gas station even and went back to the rancher who gave her 3 gallons more and then led her in his car to the gas station. Unprepared for the long trip and has got lost in a wilderness by the sound of it. Probably not helped by the floods everywhere too.
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Not bad theories. I think it was 1/4 tank wasn't it? I'd like to know if she had camping gear with her.

Why though wouldn't she turn around or keep going if the car was operational? Was she too tired or some such?

And what did the authorities do or say, did they ever even show up?
 
GrandmaBear said:
Not bad theories. I think it was 1/4 tank wasn't it? I'd like to know if she had camping gear with her.

Why though wouldn't she turn around or keep going if the car was operational? Was she too tired or some such?

And what did the authorities do or say, did they ever even show up?
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Probably got tired and dark by the second night. But she certainly didn't get far in those two days. Also some roads are just tracks so she wouldn't make good time. Where the car was found is pretty remote.
 
Tresir said:
Apparently a levee failed in early April and a lot of flooding happened in this area. The Governor is just visiting about it.

www.opb.org

Flood survivors hold on for help as Kotek tours damage in Harney County

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek praised the resiliency of Harney County residents and the volunteers who came to their aid during a Thursday visit to view flood damage in Eastern Oregon.
www.opb.org
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Well it said the water was largely receding/ed by the time she arrived and she was on the 10th. I don't doubt there may have still been areas though.

Things are always political these days. I'd like to know why people don't have insurance or is flood insurance not available?? Those are issues though that I don't want to sidetrack the thread with so I will leave them be.
 
Tresir said:
Yep 1600 miles. This doesn't seem to make sense when you compare it to the distance above. Lunchtime to 19.40 pm is 7 hours max. She couldnt have travelled 1600 miles in 7 hours. So that had to be the next day the 4th that she got to Denio Junction.

Thursday, April 3, 2025:
• Kaylee met Lindsey at lunch, saying that she wanted to go visit her nana (grandma Sheri) in Shenandoah, Iowa. Kaylee and Lindsey discussed different flight options vs driving to Iowa. Kaylee left, saying she would talk with Nana about the options.
• At 16:35 pacific time, Kaylee texted Lindsey saying she would be back in a few days, depends on when she gets there.
• Kaylee called Lindsey at 19:40 pacific time, saying she was at a quarter tank of gas in Denio Junction, NV. She said the pumps were locked/closed for the night. Lindsey encouraged Kaylee to drive back to Klamath Falls, OR. Kaylee agreed. At 20:11 pacific time, Kaylee texted to say she was going to try to make it (to Winnemucca). Despite multiple attempts at calling/texting, Kaylee did not respond to Lindsey again.
• Kaylees mother speaks to at midnight. Kaylee is lost and scared.
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So there had to be an overnight in this. Good catch. Why didn't they just say so.
 
Tresir said:
Something's not right here. So she had only travelled 200 miles when she called her friend in the evening?

How the heck had she run out of gas as well as needing 6 gallons from the rancher. Upthread it says the tank on her car does over 400 miles on a tankful.

I wonder if she ran the engine overnight to keep warm and used up her fuel. But that doesn't make sense she cannot make a 200 mile journey without panicking or having a map, or a couple of cans of fuel. Plus there was a half a tank left when the car was found.
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I haven't thought this added up from the start but you caught a thing or two I didn't even catch. I couldn't figure out why she didn't leave her area with the tank filled as most people would. Then when farmer took her to Fields why would you not fill up, etc. or in morning at denio junction or wherever it was?

Nothing adds up, I am starting to wonder about drugs or some such. I hate to but it is all odd. Or of course mental health issues.

I mean I guess foul play could play in here as well. We don't know enough. I'm pretty sure I read 1/4 tank of gas but you say 1/2 tank?
 
Regina said:
At lunchtime, she was undecided how she'd get to Iowa and then within a few hours, she's texting that she'll be back in a few days.
Hello? The notion that she could drive to Iowa and be back in a few days is absurd, indeed, impossible, so I think right off the bat, she was showing that she wasn't in a right state of mind.
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Indeed. Her idea of a few days must be 4 or 5. My coworker just power drove a similar trip by herself and had one overnight. So two just to get one way. Unless she thought she could drive and speed 24/7 and stay awake, even then that is pushing it. My idea of a few day is 3. Maybe she meant 4 or 5. I hate words like "few" in cases lol as they might mean different things to different people.
 
Tresir said:
Probably got tired and dark by the second night. But she certainly didn't get far in those two days. Also some roads are just tracks so she wouldn't make good time. Where the car was found is pretty remote.
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No kidding. Something more is up here/missing imo. I don't necessarily mean foul play either but perhaps. I more mean why isn't she making any time, didn't fill her tank, look at her directions and head for the interstate? Was she really even headed to Iowa? I mean at this point early in the trip it isn't seeming like her intent was there.
 
Busy thread. Think I caught all posts.

It is hard to get an opinion on this one.

I'd like to know too are her parents or grandma talking or reaching out? There is just so much missing here.
 
Tresir said:
So what happened when the rancher reported her to authorities? Did they do anything?
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They were out looking for her. It took a few hours to get permission to ping her phone.

Another thing, what happened to her phone? Did she not have a car charger? She told her grandmother her phone had "reset". What? The only reset I know about is a forced reset. It's very intentional when you do that.

Also, she left the Fields gas station alone. Her footprints were the only ones found around her abandoned car.

I'm starting to wonder if she should have not launched out alone.
 
SheWhoMustNotBeNamed said:
caltopo.com

Kaylee Birt - CalTopo

User created map: Kaylee Birt, ID 5N3ENFM, on CalTopo. Backcountry or your backyard; research, plan, share, and take maps with you on your mobile device. View real time data, choose layers that suit your needs, print maps, record tracks and more.
caltopo.com

This is an unofficial map that a friend of the family created so people can get a general understanding of the geography.
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Don't ask me how I did it, but that K9 track says they followed her foot trek for 4.8 miles.
 
RoundPeg said:
They were out looking for her. It took a few hours to get permission to ping her phone.

Another thing, what happened to her phone? Did she not have a car charger? She told her grandmother her phone had "reset". What? The only reset I know about is a forced reset. It's very intentional when you do that.

Also, she left the Fields gas station alone. Her footprints were the only ones found around her abandoned car.

I'm starting to wonder if she should have not launched out alone.
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The way I understood it she didn't have service in the area and the phone was found in her car no?

I never heard about the reset, must have missed that somehow.

That would be enough to lead me to the smallest leaning that she was playing something here. I agree that no phone, computer, etc. resets easily without intention. Thank God honestly. So THAT is notable.

I still don't know what to think but sh*t is not adding up. I'm not convinced she isn't missing voluntarily. I'm not convinced there was no foul play. I'm not convinced she didnt go on a hike and just get lost. I'm not sold on anything. However, with a phone reset and if I knew more, and things not adding up, i'd probably have a leaning...
 
SheWhoMustNotBeNamed said:
FACEBOOK: Finding Kaylee Birt

www.facebook.com

Finding Kaylee Birt | Fields OR

Finding Kaylee Birt, Fields, OR. 829 likes · 1 talking about this. Kaylee Birt has been missing since April 4, 2025. She was last seen at 8:30 a.m. at the Fields Station in Fields, Oregon. Help us...
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com

History and facts of Kaylee’s last interactions:

Thursday, April 3, 2025:
• Kaylee met Lindsey at lunch, saying that she wanted to go visit her nana (grandma Sheri) in Shenandoah, Iowa. Kaylee and Lindsey discussed different flight options vs driving to Iowa. Kaylee left, saying she would talk with Nana about the options.
• At 16:35 pacific time, Kaylee texted Lindsey saying she would be back in a few days, depends on when she gets there.
• Kaylee called Lindsey at 19:40 pacific time, saying she was at a quarter tank of gas in Denio Junction, NV. She said the pumps were locked/closed for the night. Lindsey encouraged Kaylee to drive back to Klamath Falls, OR. Kaylee agreed. At 20:11 pacific time, Kaylee texted to say she was going to try to make it (to Winnemucca). Despite multiple attempts at calling/texting, Kaylee did not respond to Lindsey again.
• Kaylees mother speaks to at midnight. Kaylee is lost and scared.

Friday, April 4, 2025
• Kaylees Nana received a phone call from Kaylee from a local rancher’s phone north of Fields, OR around 8:30 am pacific time. Kaylee tells Nana her phone reset, isn’t working, she is out of gas. Local rancher provides Kaylee with 3 gallons of gas, points her towards the Fields General Store. Kaylee leaves and comes back shortly, did not make it to Fields General Store. Local rancher provides her with additional 3 gallons of gas. They caravan to the Fields General Store. Local rancher is concerned about Kaylee and contacts local authorities.
• Kaylee makes it to the Fields General Store, pays for gas with cash, fills up. Cameras at the general store show her leaving south on Hwy 205.
• Kaylee’s Nana contacts Lindsey. Together they start contacting law enforcement agencies: Harney County Sheriff (Oregon), Nevada State Police, Utah State Police, Ada County Sheriff (Idaho), Klamath County Sheriff (Oregon), Oregon State Police.
• Sometime between 8:56 and 11:39, Kaylee’s phone stops going straight to voicemail and will actually ring through to voicemail.
• Around 1600 pacific time, Harney County Sheriff gets the authorization to ping Kaylee’s phone. Phone pinged off Buckskin cell tower, located on Whitehorse Ranch Road, between Fields, OR and Hwy 95 to the east.
• Ping was dated as the next day, meaning the ping is unreliable. This was the last tower her phone was connected to.
• Sheriff deputies were in the area driving the main roads this day. Community members were notified and asked to keep an eye out on their property for her car.

Saturday, April 5, 2025
• Kaylee was officially listed as a missing person.
• Search and rescue efforts started, with Harney County and community members assisting.
• Denio Junction (NV) gas station’s cameras do not show Kaylee as having made it that far south (24 miles from Fields).

Sunday, April 6, 2025
• Search and rescue efforts underway. Air support from Oregon State Police (OSP) airplane, K9 search dog from Grant County, Harney County, Lake County, and community members on horseback, foot, and ATV.
• Kaylee’s car is found around 1415 pacific time. Car found on Trout Creek Mountain Road. Road had washed out, Kaylee had stopped, car was drivable. Items in the car: phone, keys, wallet. Car had half a tank of gas.
• K9 was on her scent, footprints visible around the car and in conjunction with dog’s path.
• Search continued until approx midnight when the terrain turned unsafe to continue in the dark.

Monday, April 7, 2025
• Search and rescue continued again. OSP plane unavailable, plane from Reno, NV unable to fly due to 60mph winds. K9 dog from Lake County on her scent. Drone from Harney County and second drone with thermal from individual in the area. Harney County, Lake County, local ranchers on horseback and ATV.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025
• Search and rescue continued again. OSP plane available for air support. K9 still in use however did not hit on the same scents as yesterday. Harney County, Lake County, Malheur County, and local ranchers on horseback and UTV participated in search. Drone with thermal in use.

Wednesday, April 9, 2025
• Helicopter from Washoe County, NV assisting today. OSP plane assisting today. Dogs not available. Harney County, Malheur County, ranchers assisting with search.

Thursday, April 10, 2025
• Scaled back search, 2-3 people on foot.
• Search suspended.
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@GrandmaBear

Friday the 4th, first entry refers to the reset.

BTW I've been nosing around on FB and every relative of hers I've found is beside themselves. It looks like several of them are flying/driving to search for her.
 
Tresir said:
Probably got tired and dark by the second night. But she certainly didn't get far in those two days. Also some roads are just tracks so she wouldn't make good time. Where the car was found is pretty remote.
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I have a story about getting on a road that was hard to turn around on and was way longer and dirt and no one, no home, nothing around that I have resisted sharing. Regretted getting on it. I was alone. However, I wasn't heading anywhere, I was intentionally just taking a drive to anywhere to get away from the bad marriage/house basically. I'll leave it there for now. Still resisting. It was a bad choice of a road let's just say that.

I resist also because it just doesn't fit the other facts here. A one track road, dirt road, whatever, she was supposedly going to IA. She had a purpose. Said she'd be back in a few days. Didn't fill her gas tank. Seemed ill prepared. Didn't get far. Then disappeared. I mean seriously WTH?

Now a phone reset I just learn?

Do we know how long she had lived in OR, where her family is other than grandma, where she worked, how she supported herself, if she had a significant other or recent breakup??

NOTHING adds up very well here I will say that.

It did say I believe that she called her mother lost and scared. So what was said or done about that?

That reminds me of my kids, my one called more than once in life not knowing where she was and the direction to go some years back. So with that memory just coming to me, yeah it is a GPS generation but this was BEFORE they were GPSing. So yeah I guess they could be lost without such though. She just didn't know her small towns, a map, areas. She WAS an adult probably in her 20s. It happened a couple of times. The one time she knew where she was but she couldn't tell us the road. She could explain where though, the road you take from here, etc... It was a blizzard. THe other time she ended up in a small town that she knew was not on her route home or back and so she knew she was off course. I got out the map, a physical one, and told her what highway she needed to get on out of that town to get home. She has no issues. Sooooooooooo these memories just came to me, so to be fair, I can see how some of it can happen but she didn't end up on some track or trail in either case. Or nowhere road. In the one where she just couldnt name the road, we knew fairly fast where she was and she wasn't that far away, maybe 20 miles at most, maybe less. It was also a blizzardy type situation where I'd have rather my kids stay put than travel to see everyone but of course, they traveled in anything at that age... I think it was the same Christmas my other daughter was bent on going to get my grandson from his dad and I said just leave it, because the conditions were not OK to travel in. Of course all the rest of us did was worry. And in both cases it was iffy. My daughter I mentioned first stopped in a farm driveway to let her dog out to pee. Next thing the leash got wound under a tire.... Argggghhh yeah a real relaxiing Christmas Eve if I recall correctly. NOT. My ex could have probably got there but the farmer ended up helping her, she had not been up to the house.

I'm sharing all this because it came to me as I was responding and it would seem to kind of relate, they were in their 20s but by 30? 29? I wasn't going through any of that any longer and nowadays? In none of these cases did they take some offbeat road nor were they in the middle of nowhere. They had an intent, and a destination.

So maybe this is relevant maybe not but why was she doing as she was doing? Mine didn't go off on some off road the one to get her son or the other just aiming for home. And they were early 20s.

Oh the one in the blizzard of course was wearing flip flops on top of it. In a blizzard. LOL. Seriously these memories came back to me as I was typing. Nothing could stop them from driving at that age I swear but they weren't going off the beaten path in the middle of nowhereland.

THAT daughter is the one who lives here now and is the most prepared and responsible you can get. Lol.

But by 29? No. And again they wouldn't have like went off some off road or whatever, they would have stayed put as she did in a town and called.

This case is not making sense and she isnt making sense or her choices. That's all I have.
 
GrandmaBear said:
Do you remember the girl I believe in your state? She was missing for some number of days, had stopped at a coffee shop and then near woods I think had went missing. She was eventually found and in her case she "pulled" it on people. Never really heard a whole lot after she was found safe but we have seen a number of cases like that where it related to pressure of family, school or some such.
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Gia Fuda. That was so bizarre. She was lucky to be found alive after more than a week. Definitely looked to be mental health related, though we never did hear anything official. (Good. Privacy is good.) Thought that might have been before our site reset but no.

SheWhoMustNotBeNamed

WA Thread 'GIOVANNA "GIA" FUDA: Missing from Maple Valley, WA - 24 July 2020 - Age 18 *Found Alive*'

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www.q13fox.com

18-year-old woman missing after running out of gas near Stevens Pass

Tuesday, King County Search and Rescue teams with K9 Units continued the search for missing 18-year-old Giovanna (Gia) Fuda.
www.q13fox.com www.q13fox.com
18-year-old woman missing after running out of gas near Stevens Pass

King County Search and Rescue teams with K9 Units looked all day on Monday but could find no sign of 18-year-old Giovanna (Gia) Fuda.

King County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Detectives now say her disappearance is considered suspicious and believe she may have gotten picked up by the wrong person after she ran out of gas west of...
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