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In 2007, 18-year-old Kelsey Smith left home to go to Target to buy a gift for her boyfriend, which was the last time she was heard from. Her family grew concerned over her disappearance and immediately notified the police. When investigators took up the case, they discovered a chilling detail in the Target surveillance footage.
The chilling surveillance footage showed Kelsey shopping inside the store and a mysterious man trailing her every step. What began as a routine errand soon unfolded into one of Kansas’s most shocking abduction cases. Kelsey’s story is revisited in Final Moments season 1 episode 4, A Fatal Shopping Trip, re-airing on Oxygen on September 18, 2025.
The kidnapping of Kelsey Smith
On June 2, 2007, what began as a simple shopping trip turned into a nightmare that shocked Kansas and the nation. That evening, 18-year-old Kelsey Smith drove to a Target store in Overland Park to buy a scrapbook as an anniversary gift for her boyfriend, John. When she did not return, her family grew worried and notified the police.
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According to Oxygen, when the police reviewed the surveillance footage, they discovered that around 7:07 pm, Kelsey was seen checking out at Target and heading to the parking lot. She placed her items in her car and climbed into the driver’s seat when a shadowy figure in a white shirt and dark shorts appeared from behind, forcing his way into her vehicle.
Two hours later, her Buick Regal was found abandoned at Oak Park Mall, and inside was her purse, wallet, and purchased items. But her phone and keys were missing. It was clear that Kelsey Smith had been kidnapped
Primary suspect identified in Kelsey's abduction
When police began to look for clues to Smith's whereabouts, they discovered a chilling detail in the surveillance footage. The man who forced Kelsey into her car was captured trailing Kelsey through nearly every aisle she visited. He left the store moments before Kelsey walked to the cashier, and likely waited outside for her to leave so he could attack.
Authorities released the suspect’s image to the media, which led to an outpouring of tips. As per Oxygen, many people called to identify him as 26-year-old Edwin Roy “Jack” Hall of Olathe, Kansas. Police quickly confirmed the match through his driver’s license photo.
The discovery of Kelsey Smith's body
When Hall was interrogated, he denied knowing anything about the abduction and even offered his DNA and fingerprints. But forensic testing revealed his thumbprint on the driver’s seatbelt buckle in Kelsey’s car, which linked him to the crime.
Meanwhile, investigators pushed for Kelsey’s cell phone records, which could reveal her last location. However, privacy laws delayed data release for four crucial days. Once records were obtained, the final signal from her phone was traced to Longview Lake in Grandview, Missouri, about 20 miles from where she had been taken.
On June 6, 2007, searchers combing the area made a heartbreaking discovery. Kelsey’s body was found hidden under branches. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled with her own belt.
Hall's arrest and sentencing
That same day, police arrested Edwin Hall as he prepared to leave town with his wife and young son. Investigators determined that Kelsey was not targeted personally and that Hall had likely selected her at random after seeing her arrive at Target alone.
Though Hall had no adult criminal record, his juvenile history was marked by violence. He was charged with premeditated first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, rape, and sodomy. Initially, prosecutors sought the death penalty, but in July 2008, Hall pleaded guilty to all charges to avoid it, as reported by Oxygen. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and remains incarcerated at the Lansing Correctional Facility in Kansas.
The Kelsey Smith Act
Kelsey’s case exposed dangerous gaps in how law enforcement accessed phone records during emergencies. Verizon Wireless’s four-day delay in releasing her location data drew sharp criticism. Out of that controversy came the Kelsey Smith Act, a law allowing phone companies to immediately share location data with authorities if a person is believed to be in danger.
Kansas became the first state to adopt the law, and in 2021, a federal version was passed by Congress. The act has already saved lives, including in one Kansas case where police managed to track down a stolen vehicle with a baby inside by pinging the mother’s phone.
Oxygen’s Final Moments: A Fatal Shopping Trip revisits the chilling details of Kelsey Smith's abduction and its aftermath. Catch it on September 18, 2025.
