Three years after Layla Santanello, 20, disappeared from Kingsport, Tennessee, the Kingsport Police Department (KPD) announced on June 26, 2026, that it is the belief of the lead detective that Layla is dead. Her family, however, has ramped up their campaign to bring her home, spreading her details across billboards, chemists, and gas pumps.
Last Seen on CCTV Fleeing Hotel
Layla was last seen on June 27, 2023, running barefoot from the Americourt Hotel in Kingsport, appearing scared and banging on doors. Her stepmother, Brittany Zeitler, 34, described her as not in the right state of mind. Witnesses reported her as panicked and terrified, hammering on doors.
Layla's father, George Santanello, 45, and Brittany requested a welfare check after her phone went unanswered. Her boyfriend, Michael David Thompson, 21, initially told police she was staying at a friend's house and asked for a lift at 4 a.m., but when he arrived, she was gone. He claimed she went outside to smoke a cigarette and vanished.
Police Investigation and Suspicions
Police conducted thousands of hours of ground searches, interviews, and subpoenas. They believe Layla is dead, but Brittany remains doubtful: "I know they are not going to come out with such a statement if they do not have the credibility to it. Ultimately I still have doubt it's really true."
Brittany suspects Layla may have suffered an accidental overdose and that those present panicked and disposed of her body. The last confirmed sighting shows her running into a field.
Extortion Attempt and Charges
Two weeks after her disappearance, Brittany received Cash App requests from Layla's account, one saying, "We have Layla. She owes a drug debt, and if she doesn't pay, you'll find her chopped up into pieces." After transferring money, they discovered Michael was behind the messages. He was charged with financial exploitation, credit card fraud, and identity theft and remains behind bars, but authorities have not linked him to Layla's disappearance.
Family's Ongoing Campaign
Brittany and George are working tirelessly, funding digital billboards—four active billboards, one screen in a pharmacy, and gas pump advertisements. "We just want the right facts, the right timeline, the right places known—so the people responsible know we are coming," Brittany said. "We are not backing down."
Despite the police statement, the family insists they are not giving up. "A lot of people are taking this as us surrendering to the case and giving up. That is absolutely not the case," Brittany said. She believes someone will eventually slip: "I really think with all the attention it is getting right now a small group of people knows what happened to Layla, is responsible for Layla and someone's going to cave."
