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Kaylee Sawyer was murdered in the early morning hours of July 24, 2016. Her body was found two days after a wild manhunt and the capture of a fugitive on a crime spree. She died of blunt force trauma and strangulation and had multiple other wounds all over her body while also showing signs of s*xual assault.
A community college patrolling security guard was charged with her murder after he allegedly confessed to his wife about murdering Sawyer and then going out on a crime spree, terrorizing many areas from Northern California to Northwest Oregon for at least 24 hours. He was to face the death penalty but pleaded guilty and was given a life sentence instead.
Sawyer's heart-wrenching case has led to many changes and the introduction of a new bill in Oregon. To date, it remains one of the most brutal crimes the small city of Bend has ever seen.
Oxygen's Dateline: Unforgettable dived into the details of the murder of Kaylee Sawyer on Thursday, December 1, with an episode titled Into the Night.
The murder of Kaylee Sawyer: A mysterious disappearance, an unexpected confession, and other details explored
1) Kaylee Sawyer mysteriously disappeared in the early hours of July 24, 2016
On July 23, 2016, Kaylee Sawyer was attending a close friend's bachelorette celebration downtown when her boyfriend, Cameron Reimhofer, picked her up just after midnight. On the way back to their shared residence close to Central Oregon Community College, the couple allegedly got into a fight and Sawyer left. That was the last time she was seen alive.
The next day, when she failed to turn up at work, and nobody could get in touch with her, her boyfriend reported her missing.
2) Authorities received an unexpected tip in connection to Sawyer's disappearance
On July 25, a day after Kaylee Sayer's disappearance, a new Bend police officer named Isabel Ponce-Lara presented authorities with an unexpected tip. She claimed that her husband Edwin Lara, a security guard at Central Oregon Community College, had confessed to accidentally killing a woman.
Isabel claimed Edwin, who used to drive a security patrol car, told her he unintentionally killed the woman by running her over. Edwin also told his wife that the victim's possessions were in the shed at their house. After learning the information, Isabel immediately rushed to the cops, claiming that her husband left the house with her pistol after admitting to the murder.
3) Edwin Lara went on a crime spree after confessing to Karlee's murder
After confessing that he killed a woman and hid the victim's body and possessions, Edwin embarked on a crime spree that spanned from Northern California to Northwest Oregon for the next roughly 24-hour period, terrorizing the lives of many. Sources state that he kidnapped and carjacked people and also shot a man.
But on July 26, he made the 911 call himself while traveling on a highway close to Redding, California. He told authorities that he kidnapped a person and was a fugitive in a murder case. He even told them that he was armed and had a bulletproof vest on.
4) Kaylee Sawyer's body was found near a highway after Edwin's arrest
After Edwin Lara was arrested, he confessed to killing Sawyer intentionally and informed authorities about the whereabouts of her remains. Her body was found on the side of the road near 18700 West Highway 126. An autopsy revealed that she died of blunt force trauma while also indicating signs of strangulation and s*xual assault. She had multiple skull fractures and other defensive wounds.
5) Lara was given two life sentences
Edwin Lara faced multiple charges in Kaylee Sawyer's murder and eventually pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated murder and one count of robbery to avoid the death penalty. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In addition to his sentence for Sawyer's murder, Lara was given a four-count federal indictment for his crimes in the days following Sawyer's death. It included two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in connection with a crime of violence and one count each of kidnapping and carjacking.
Lara pleaded guilty to the kidnapping and carjacking charges before the sentencing, and the court sentenced him to life in prison. He is serving both life sentences concurrently.
Kaylee Sawyer's murder case recently aired on Oxygen's Dateline: Unforgettable on December 1, 2022. Tune in to get detailed insights on the case.
