Overview

Full name: Katha Louann Holton

Age at disappearance: 44 years old

Date last seen: August 2, 2002

Last known location: Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia

Case classification: Missing person

Current status: Unresolved; no publicly confirmed recovery or resolution located

NamUs identification number: MP34085

Physical description: White female, approximately 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighing approximately 115–120 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Distinguishing features: A large scar extending from her neck toward her left shoulder and a rose tattoo on the inside of her left ankle.

Circumstances: Katha was last seen in the Huntington area. Her elderly father reportedly notified authorities of her disappearance. Few additional details have been publicly released.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Katha Louann Holton: The Unsolved 2002 Disappearance in Huntington, West Virginia

On August 2, 2002, 44-year-old Katha Louann Holton disappeared from Huntington, West Virginia. More than two decades later, her whereabouts remain unknown, and the publicly available information surrounding her disappearance leaves many important questions unanswered.

Katha’s case is particularly troubling because so little has been publicly documented about the circumstances of her disappearance. Available missing-person records indicate that her elderly father reported her missing and that he had been receiving her assistance checks. Beyond those details, there is limited publicly verified information about her final movements, the people she may have encountered, or what happened after she was last seen.

Her disappearance remains classified as a missing-person case. There is no publicly verified evidence establishing that she was the victim of a homicide.

Case Summary

Full name: Katha Louann Holton

Age at disappearance: 44 years old

Date last seen: August 2, 2002

Last known location: Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia

Case classification: Missing person

Current status: Unresolved; no publicly confirmed recovery or resolution located

NamUs identification number: MP34085

Physical description: White female, approximately 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighing approximately 115–120 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Distinguishing features: A large scar extending from her neck toward her left shoulder and a rose tattoo on the inside of her left ankle.

Circumstances: Katha was last seen in the Huntington area. Her elderly father reportedly notified authorities of her disappearance. Few additional details have been publicly released.

These details are documented in the Uncovered case profile and historical missing-person information reproduced in the Websleuths case discussion.

Katha Louann Holton’s Background and Disappearance

Who Was Katha Louann Holton?

Katha Louann Holton was 44 years old when she went missing in the summer of 2002. Her disappearance is associated with Huntington, a city along the Ohio River in western West Virginia, primarily within Cabell County.

Publicly accessible case profiles provide basic identifying information but offer little about Katha’s personal history. Her occupation, educational background, daily activities, and family relationships beyond her father have not been reliably established through the sources located for this article.

Although the public record is limited, Katha was a person with a life, family connections, and a history extending far beyond the circumstances of her disappearance.

August 2, 2002: The Last Known Contact

According to missing-person records, Katha was last seen in the Huntington area on August 2, 2002.

The available accounts do not establish an exact street address, a specific time of day, or the identity of the person who last saw her. They also do not establish whether she disappeared from a residence, while traveling, or from another location.

One of the few additional details appears in information attributed to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). It states that Katha’s elderly father reported her missing and had been receiving her assistance checks.

That information appears in the Uncovered missing-person profile, which attributes the circumstances to NamUs.

The records reviewed do not explain the nature of those benefits, why her father received the checks, or whether the payments played any role in the investigation. No conclusion about financial wrongdoing or another person’s involvement can responsibly be drawn from that statement alone.

Identifying Characteristics

Katha’s physical description could remain important if someone recognizes her from an old photograph or remembers encountering her around the time of her disappearance.

Historical missing-person listings describe her as having brown hair, blue eyes, and a height of approximately 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 3 inches.

Two distinctive physical characteristics were also documented: a large scar extending from the neck toward the left shoulder and a rose tattoo on the inside of her left ankle.

These details were included in the missing-person information reproduced in a June 2019 Websleuths discussion.

Investigation History and Available Evidence

Initial Missing-Person Report

The available NamUs-derived account identifies Katha’s father as the person who reported her missing.

However, the exact date on which he contacted law enforcement has not been established through the sources reviewed.

The public information also does not identify the officer who initially handled the report or provide a verified account of the investigative steps taken immediately after her disappearance.

There are no independently verified details in the reviewed sources concerning initial searches, neighborhood interviews, surveillance recordings, or the collection of physical evidence.

The absence of publicly accessible information does not mean that investigators failed to take those steps. It means that the relevant investigative records have not been confirmed through the available sources.

NamUs Case Documentation

Katha’s disappearance was entered into NamUs under identification number MP34085.

Historical NamUs information reproduced in the Websleuths discussion lists June 15, 2016, as the date the case was created in that system.

This is an important distinction: the 2016 entry date represents a documented database milestone, not a newly discovered disappearance or proof that a new investigative breakthrough occurred.

The historical NamUs information also identifies Huntington and Cabell County as the relevant location.

Public Awareness and Case Listings

On June 17, 2019, a discussion dedicated to Katha’s disappearance was started on Websleuths. The discussion reproduced information attributed to The Charley Project and NamUs, including her physical description and disappearance date.

The Websleuths thread is a secondary community resource, not an official investigative announcement. Its importance is primarily in preserving and circulating identifying information.

Uncovered also maintains a case profile for Katha. The profile carries a March 6, 2020, update date and repeats the limited circumstances attributed to NamUs.

Neither the Websleuths discussion nor the Uncovered profile establishes that a new witness, forensic result, or investigative lead emerged on those dates.

Physical Evidence and Forensic Testing

No publicly verified inventory of physical evidence was located in the reviewed material.

In particular, the available sources do not establish whether investigators collected DNA samples, obtained fingerprints, examined personal belongings, or submitted evidence for forensic testing.

There was also no verified public announcement located concerning investigative genetic genealogy, a DNA identification, a confirmed match to unidentified remains, or a forensic breakthrough involving Katha.

It would be inaccurate to claim that such testing was performed, ruled out, or produced results without supporting investigative documentation.

Theories and Unresolved Questions

The circumstances of Katha’s disappearance remain unclear. Several questions are important to understanding the case, but they should not be mistaken for evidence supporting a particular explanation.

Did Katha Leave Voluntarily?

The public record does not establish whether Katha intended to leave Huntington or whether she made plans to travel elsewhere.

There is no verified account in the reviewed sources of a farewell message, a confirmed travel itinerary, or a documented decision to start a new life.

A voluntary departure is therefore an unconfirmed possibility, not an established explanation.

Was Katha the Victim of Foul Play?

Because Katha has remained missing for so long, the possibility of foul play cannot be dismissed simply from the available information.

However, the reviewed sources do not identify an officially named suspect, a confirmed crime scene, a homicide determination, or physical evidence establishing criminal involvement.

Her case should continue to be described as an unresolved disappearance rather than a confirmed murder.

Could Her Disappearance Have Involved an Accident or Medical Emergency?

An accident, medical emergency, or other unforeseen event is another general possibility in an unexplained disappearance.

No publicly verified evidence was located that specifically supports one of these scenarios in Katha’s case.

Questions That Remain Unanswered

Important unresolved questions include:

• Where exactly was Katha last seen on August 2, 2002, and who last had confirmed contact with her?
• What circumstances prompted her father to report her missing?
• Were searches conducted in Huntington or surrounding communities?
• Were any witnesses interviewed or potential sightings investigated?
• Is there physical or biological evidence available for modern forensic testing?
• Have investigators compared her case with unidentified-person records?

These are investigative questions, not claims that particular evidence or leads exist.

Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates

Case Status as of October 19, 2026

No publicly confirmed recent investigative developments were located in the sources reviewed for this article.

The latest dated case-specific material identified includes the June 17, 2019, Websleuths discussion and the Uncovered profile showing a March 6, 2020, update date. Neither establishes a new investigative development.

Additional missing-person aggregators continue to list Katha’s disappearance, but continued database visibility is not itself evidence of a new police investigation, a fresh lead, or a change in case status.

No verified recent public announcement was located concerning an arrest, criminal charges, identified remains, forensic identification, or a formal resolution.

This does not establish that law enforcement has stopped investigating. Police agencies may retain information or pursue leads that have not been made public.

For now, the available records continue to support describing Katha Louann Holton as missing, with her disappearance unresolved.

Conclusion: Remembering Katha Louann Holton

More than 24 years have passed since Katha Louann Holton was last reported seen in Huntington, West Virginia.

Despite the passage of time, the publicly documented circumstances remain remarkably limited. Her father’s missing-person report, the August 2, 2002, disappearance date, and her identifying characteristics are among the few details consistently preserved in case listings.

Katha’s story deserves attention without speculation or unsupported accusations. Her family and anyone who knew her may hold memories that could help clarify her final known movements.

Anyone with firsthand information about Katha’s whereabouts, her activities around August 2002, or circumstances directly connected to her disappearance is encouraged to contact the appropriate law enforcement agency.

Even information that seems minor could help investigators establish a more complete timeline.

Katha Louann Holton remains missing in the publicly available case information, and the central question remains unanswered: What happened to her after August 2, 2002?