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

https://amp.heraldonline.com/news/nation-world/national/article304018456.html

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

 

[GrandmaBear]

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.

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

Jul 28, 2020

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

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...

• SheWhoMustNotBeNamed
• gia fuda giovanna fuda maple valley missing missing teen vehicle located washington
• Replies: 53
• Forum: Located / Resolved

• 

That name doesn't sound right to me but I am sure it is as yeah I think that is the case. It is pressure and perfection expected from parents in some of these cases OR a child acting out. Or adult child. She ended up alive and was intentionally missing, that one I had a feeling about in that direction. This one I don't know but the problem with filling the gas tank, etc. has me wondering. I struggle with whether such things are mental health. I mean no offense but in my generation that is not mental health if you are just trying to break from your overbearing parents, or cause attention, act out, etc. I do get that these days people think that is what such is or blame it on such.

Yeah, it is probably the right name. I think they found her bible o something at some point.

Of course we never heard another word which isn't unusual. Thank you for recalling the right case. They cost LE and searchers and so on a lot of $$$ and time taken from other cases.

 

[GrandmaBear]

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.

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

Jul 28, 2020

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

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...

• SheWhoMustNotBeNamed
• gia fuda giovanna fuda maple valley missing missing teen vehicle located washington
• Replies: 53
• Forum: Located / Resolved

• 

And thank you. I did know it was on this "new" site. This one is reminding me of that one but there isn't enough to really be sure. And of course, this woman is much older. It's why I want to know some of the basics that we don't know. Was she supporting herself or were family members doing it, how long had she been there, or on her own? Where was she raised? And so on.

The story just is not adding up. And while I don't do FB, etc. I do see remarks under articles at times. However, otherwise, all I know is just from what is here.

 

[Tresir]

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.

Sometimes it is the infrastructure that is badly damaged - eg roads and bridges swept away or flooded, electric and phone lines down, rivers burst their banks, water mains damaged etc. That's nothing to do with home insurance claims. In this case her car was near a road that had been swept away so was she caught up in something like that?

 

[GrandmaBear]

Sometimes it is the infrastructure that is badly damaged - eg roads and bridges swept away or flooded, electric and phone lines down, rivers burst their banks, water mains damaged etc. That's nothing to do with home insurance claims. In this case her car was near a road that had been swept away so was she caught up in something like that?

Talking homes and home insurance is an entirely different subject. Not sure how insurance differs either from where you are versus here so I am going to just leave that one alone.

As far as her? I have been on roads I could barely turn around on safely in my life. But I'd have done so an inch at a time if in such a spot. I might not on some mountain road, i have been on one I'd have froze in fear before moving the car an inch if something happened. In Arizona. Never, ever, ever again will I take some mountain scenic road. But we somehow got through. We weren't out of gas, car did not break down, etc. It does not sound like any of this was the case with her either. You yourself said what she didn't make 200 miles in two days...?

If not in a risky area, I would have turned my car around if one could not get through. It may have taken 10 times of a Y turn but I would have done it. And got back to civilization.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Sometimes it is the infrastructure that is badly damaged - eg roads and bridges swept away or flooded, electric and phone lines down, rivers burst their banks, water mains damaged etc. That's nothing to do with home insurance claims. In this case her car was near a road that had been swept away so was she caught up in something like that?

I'd talk the insurance thing but don't want to sidetrack the thread. It definitely is a subject worth talking about.

 

[Tresir]

Don't ask me how I did it, but that K9 track says they followed her foot trek for 4.8 miles.

Ah hah i did it too. Here's a screen shot of the expanded map. Also shows the Buckhorn cell tower. So she drove east on Whitehorse Ranch Road parked up and walked south. Heading for Disaster Peak by the look of it.

 

[Tresir]

Talking homes and home insurance is an entirely different subject. Not sure how insurance differs either from where you are versus here so I am going to just leave that one alone.

As far as her? I have been on roads I could barely turn around on safely in my life. But I'd have done so an inch at a time if in such a spot. I might not on some mountain road, i have been on one I'd have froze in fear before moving the car an inch if something happened. In Arizona. Never, ever, ever again will I take some mountain scenic road. But we somehow got through. We weren't out of gas, car did not break down, etc. It does not sound like any of this was the case with her either. You yourself said what she didn't make 200 miles in two days...?

If not in a risky area, I would have turned my car around if one could not get through. It may have taken 10 times of a Y turn but I would have done it. And got back to civilization.

Yes i agree. And why get out of your car and walk off into a wilderness? It doesn't look good. There looks to be ranch houses in the area. Do her friends know if she took camping gear, i wonder?

 

[RoundPeg]

And thank you. I did know it was on this "new" site. This one is reminding me of that one but there isn't enough to really be sure. And of course, this woman is much older. It's why I want to know some of the basics that we don't know. Was she supporting herself or were family members doing it, how long had she been there, or on her own? Where was she raised? And so on.

The story just is not adding up. And while I don't do FB, etc. I do see remarks under articles at times. However, otherwise, all I know is just from what is here.

I really think she was from Iowa. When I was Facebook snooping, a lot of Birt relatives live in Iowa. She had a roommate in Oregon.

 

[RoundPeg]

From the Facebook group:

Family and friends are in the area joined by some volunteer SAR members. Family & volunteers have the official map with coordinates to help focus the search. Family have spoken to the rancher who provided the gas and let Kaylee use his phone and spoken to an Oregon state trooper who helped with the search. No new information was gathered thus far.
****Please be sensitive with questions and conjecture. We are her family and some comments are extremely hurtful and anxiety inducing for us. We understand that all things are possible for what could have happened to her, but we are focusing on the facts and trying to avoid speculation at this point. Prayers are so beyond appreciated! We can feel the love and support, and how much you want to help us bring Kaylee home! We love & appreciate each of you for this!

 

[Kimster]

I sure hope they find her.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

It looks like the Fowler-O'Sullivan Foundation is going to be helping with the search for Kaylee! They do foot searches, but also have drones and other tech. They typically focus on missing hikers (Kris Fowler and David O'Sullivan both went missing while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail), so it's interesting they're taking her case. But glad to hear it!

Fowler-O'Sullivan Foundation – Assisting Families of Missing Hikers

fofound.org

 

[GrandmaBear]

Yes i agree. And why get out of your car and walk off into a wilderness? It doesn't look good. There looks to be ranch houses in the area. Do her friends know if she took camping gear, i wonder?

Yeah I have wondered about the camping gear too. Was she planning on a motel or camping on the way to Iowa. It would take at least one overnight generally without another driver. At minimum.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I really think she was from Iowa. When I was Facebook snooping, a lot of Birt relatives live in Iowa. She had a roommate in Oregon.

Thank you. I'm going to be forced back to FB lol, not just for crime but family and friends too. Been some years since being on there.

Any idea how she came to be in Oregon or how long there?

 

[Tresir]

Talking homes and home insurance is an entirely different subject. Not sure how insurance differs either from where you are versus here so I am going to just leave that one alone.

As far as her? I have been on roads I could barely turn around on safely in my life. But I'd have done so an inch at a time if in such a spot. I might not on some mountain road, i have been on one I'd have froze in fear before moving the car an inch if something happened. In Arizona. Never, ever, ever again will I take some mountain scenic road. But we somehow got through. We weren't out of gas, car did not break down, etc. It does not sound like any of this was the case with her either. You yourself said what she didn't make 200 miles in two days...?

If not in a risky area, I would have turned my car around if one could not get through. It may have taken 10 times of a Y turn but I would have done it. And got back to civilization.

Here we are insured for flooding but often if you have more than one incident they increase the excess or can exclude that threat. Where I am, the houses that are right on the estuary/beachfront often flood at exceptional high tides and storms. The water goes around and under them and council issue sandbags for entryways but the water seeps up thru the ground too. You only really know the insurance aspect if you live in a flood zone.

 

[RoundPeg]

Thank you. I'm going to be forced back to FB lol, not just for crime but family and friends too. Been some years since being on there.

Any idea how she came to be in Oregon or how long there?

No idea.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Here we are insured for flooding but often if you have more than one incident they increase the excess or can exclude that threat. Where I am, the houses that are right on the estuary/beachfront often flood at exceptional high tides and storms. The water goes around and under them and council issue sandbags for entryways but the water seeps up thru the ground too. You only really know the insurance aspect if you live in a flood zone.

Yeah, I can't tell you much about it either. I've heard at times and my daughter was just talking of such recently but I don't and never have dealt with flood insurance. It seemed to me it used to be in homeowner policies though, just generally, but perhaps isn't any longer or if it is, that yes once someone has had such, they exclude or increase rates, I am not sure. We don't really ha ve that issue here. Even though the Mississippi winds through this city, there isn't much (that I am aware of) that is right on the water. Now if you head down to Iowa, where my relatives lived just down the hill from them was the Mississippi (that is a pain to type) and there were homes on stilts and a restaurant on the water, etc. and all flooded I know more than once. While I think insurance has gotten very unfair through the years in what they cover or don't, I do have to say when someone rebuilds in the very same spot after flooding out, like right on the riverbank, one really can't blame them for not insuring.

Again though I really don't know much about it. Where I lived most of my life there was no need of floor insurance really. I guess days of torrential rain may cause some issues but it has never happened in my lifetime.

 

[Regina]

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.

From where I sit, that'd be the first indication that something was amiss.

 

[GrandmaBear]

From where I sit, that'd be the first indication that something was amiss.

I'd agree, the question is what was amiss.

 

[Regina]

I'd agree, the question is what was amiss.

I question the circumstance of the Denio Junction gas pumps were closed / locked because according to their facebook page, they're open 24/7.
(They also offer lodging...)
I think her friend having encouraged her to drive back at that point shows she (the friend) was unsure of the circumstances and concerned.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I question the circumstance of the Denio Junction gas pumps were closed / locked because according to their facebook page, they're open 24/7.
(They also offer lodging...)
I think her friend having encouraged her to drive back at that point shows she (the friend) was unsure of the circumstances and concerned.

Now that's interesting. I can say however there is a restaurant here that's been closed for years but if one looks it up, it would appear to still be open, but that's not on their actual website if I recall. I did think she maybe spent the night there though. Tresir realized there was an overnight in here. I was thinking she maybe went to Denio to stay over and get gas. I wonder if there is a way to confirm if they were open or closed, the gas pumps. Maybe just during summer or something? Or did they change after Covid as many places did as to hours? Or was she just lying?

You know, it crossed my mind that if authorities were called, she could have went in on a mental health hold and we'd never be told because of HIPPA imo, but then they wouldn't have been searching for her as they would have known that so I ruled that thought out.