A Spotsylvania County man facing charges of sexual battery, child cruelty and other felonies in relation to his stepdaughter who disappeared more than a decade ago is scheduled to appear in Spotsylvania Circuit Court Tuesday at 9 a.m. for a status hearing.
James Branton isn’t charged in the disappearance of Katelin Akens, but he is the prime suspect, Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office Lt. Col. Delbert Myrick told the Free Press Thursday.
“He’s the primary suspect at this time, but potentially not our only suspect,” Myrick said.
Investigators searched three properties linked to Branton earlier this week and did not locate Akens’ remains.
In addition to the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police, the FBI, and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management participated in the search. The investigation was also aided by the George Mason University Police Department, which loaned drone equipment and other technology to the effort.
The search team used excavators, ground-penetrating radar, and other high-tech equipment, to no avail.
“There were some things for them to follow up on and some more search warrants to do as a result of [the search], but at this time she was not found,” Myrick said. “To be honest, we were just making sure we’re doing our due diligence because [one of the properties] was the last place she was seen. Start there and work other places. But it’s definitely very active. I’m not going to say it wasn’t fruitful. It’s definitely gaining more traction and more attention moving forward.”
Akens was last seen at Branton’s home in Partlow on Dec. 5, 2015. She was 19 when she went missing. According to the investigation, a family member dropped Akens off at the home because Branton was going to give her a ride to Springfield Mall, where she would catch the Metro train to Reagan National Airport.
Her luggage was later found in a ditch along River Road in Spotsylvania.
Myrick said Branton was always a suspect because Akens was last seen at his property.
“If someone was in your presence and they went missing, I think it’s fair to say you’d be a suspect,” Myrick said.
However, the suspicion around Branton grew last Friday when he was arrested and charged with multiple felonies related to Akens. According to an affidavit filed April 10, Branton began sexually abusing Akens in 2006 when she was 10 years old. Akens’ romantic partner, Amber Rios told authorities that Akens informed her that she was molested by Branton, who allegedly spanked her with no clothing.
Akens’ younger sister, Gabrielle, also told investigators that Branton frequently removed her and Katelin from their bedrooms in the middle of the night while their mother was at work and repeatedly spanked them while they were not wearing any clothing.
A neighbor also told authorities that Akens pleaded with her for help and described Branton spanking her. The neighbor reported Branton to Child Protective Services (CPS), according to the complaint, but CPS no longer has a record of the report.
Akens’ mother, Lisa Sullivan, spoke to investigators and acknowledged the spankings but denied knowing her daughters were stripped naked. She told investigators that she implored Branton to stop spanking Akens as she physically matured. Sullivan recalled the CPS investigation, noting that it occurred possibly around 2009.
“There is one person who is the holder of all the information and as of right now, he’s not cooperating,” Myrick said of Branton. “He’s got those sexual assault charges, so he must face that, and obviously the other investigations are still ongoing.”
