When Kayla Sedoskey disappeared, her absence initially failed to raise immediate alarm.
The Michigan mother was known to drift in and out of contact while moving between jobs and temporary places to stay, at times even sleeping beneath bridges. This disappearance, however, was different—Kayla never returned.
On March 2, 2023, roughly two weeks after Kayla went missing, teenagers exploring a deserted detention center near Monroe made a horrifying discovery. Her bloodied remains were hidden beneath a tarp in the gymnasium. She had suffered gunshot wounds to her back, jaw and the crown of her head.
“That would suggest that it was execution style,” Michigan State Police Detective Sergeant Michael Peterson said on the Oct. 25 episode of Catfish Murders. “She was likely kneeling and someone shot her from above.”
Investigators also found a disturbing detail beside the body.
“Next to the body, was a pentagram that had been spray painted on the floor,” Peterson said. “We were wondering at that point if this was some sort of cult activity or sacrificial killing.”
Who Was Kayla Sedoskey?
Kayla was 23, training to become a nurse and raising a son with her former boyfriend, Daniel Mayo. Though that relationship had ended, she remained a devoted romantic who still hoped to find lasting love.
“When it came to love,” Mayo told Catfish Murders, “Kayla fell quick.”
Her closest friend, Timothy Booth, recalled, “I don’t know how many times Kayla would be like, ‘Hey, this is my boyfriend.’ It’s like, ‘Kayla, how long have you guys been dating?’ ‘A couple days.’”
As police worked to determine what happened, they examined the men connected to Kayla, including her boyfriend at the time, Louis Cutliff.
Louis told investigators that his last conversation with Kayla came on Feb. 15, after she stopped by his mother’s apartment. The following day, she no longer answered his calls or messages.
“He thought that Kayla had ghosted him,” Michigan State Police Detective Jordan Long said, “because he came on too strongly.”
Then surveillance video helped establish a timeline of Kayla’s final known movements.
At approximately 10 p.m. on Feb. 15, she walked away from the apartment toward the area beneath the Roessler Street Bridge. After spending about an hour there, she made her way to a convenience store, where a vehicle stopped and picked her up.
Louis was later eliminated as a suspect. He and Daniel instead directed police toward another former boyfriend, Steven Bails.
“We let the evidence take us to wherever it would take us,” Peterson said. “It led us straight to Steve Bails—probably the worst person I’ve ever met in my life.”
Who Was Steven Bails?
Steven, who was in his 40s, had a documented and violent history with Kayla.
He was arrested in 2021 after assaulting her and served more than three months behind bars. Kayla later withdrew the charges, but their relationship ultimately ended in December 2022, after Steven forced her out of his home.
Kayla secured a personal protection order against him. Even so, in the weeks before she vanished, Steven repeatedly targeted her through public posts on Facebook.
When detectives finally reached Steven, he was away on his honeymoon with his new wife, Narena Bails. His cousin, Brin Smith, was traveling with the couple.
“He stated immediately that he was not on the run—which I thought was interesting that he felt the need to throw that out there,” Peterson said, “because I didn’t accuse him of being on the run.”
Steven promised to call investigators back, but he never did.
Then, a review of Kayla’s Facebook activity revealed she had been dating someone unexpected: Brin.
“Brin had told her that they both had a mutual hatred for Steve,” Long said. “Brin was telling her they had a fight and Steve was kicking him out of the apartment, similar to what happened to Kayla. So, they bonded over that.”
Even more troubling: Kayla and Brin had arranged to meet on February 15, the last day Kayla was seen alive.
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Then, Brin’s aunt came forward with a lead.
She said her nephew had told her Kayla had been shot three times—a detail authorities hadn’t made public—and that he belonged to a group called The Reapers, led by Steven.
“Steve referred to himself as Grim and his wife Narena was referred to as Lady Death,” Peterson said. “Kayla at one point had been a member.”
What Did Brin Smith Tell Police About Kayla Sedoskey’s Murder?
Investigators wanted to question Steven and Brin, but both were missing. That changed on March 13, when Brin surfaced in Ohio after fleeing Steven’s car following an argument.
When investigators interviewed Brin, he denied killing Kayla but had plenty to say about the Reapers.
Brin and fellow members Sierra Bemis and Kaylyn Ramsey lived in Steven and Narena’s one-bedroom apartment—and under Steven’s tight control. According to Brin, Steven took advantage of people from troubled homes, preventing them from working, using their phones or leaving his orbit. In fact, Brin said, Steven had tightened his leash by dragging him on his honeymoon.
According to Kayla’s BFF Timothy, Steven “was like a modern-day Charles Manson.”
But while Brin cast himself as another one of Steven’s victims, their text messages told a different story.
“I got Kayla. She’s in my hands now,” Brin wrote to Steven five days before the murder. “She fell right into my trap.”
Then, on the last day of Kayla’s life, a message from Brin placed them both at the detention center. When Brin texted Steven that he couldn’t find the gym, Steven replied, “I hear you. You’re getting closer.”
As Long shared, “It was pretty obvious that at that time, Brin was catfishing Kayla. Brin was playing his part in the plan to get Kayla to be with him…but Steve was the one pulling the strings. Steven Bails was the mastermind behind this whole plan.”
Interviews with the Reapers exposed a web of rage and resentment surrounding Steven and the women in his life.
Sierra told police that the women had competed for Steven’s affections, which fueled animosity toward Kayla.
“I think they suspected that she held a special place in Steve’s heart,” Peterson said. “A lot of the jealousy and anger was directed towards Kayla.”
The Reapers all played a role in Kayla’s death.
Brin drove the gang to the detention center, where Sierra served as a lookout and Narena monitored the police scanner. Friend Alexander Feko provided the murder weapon and Kaylyn was the shooter.
Police had enough evidence to arrest Brin, Kaylyn, Sierra, Alexander—but Steven and Narena were on the run.
Steven Bails Arrested for Kayla Sedoskey’s Murder
In April 2023, police tracked down Steven and Narena in North Carolina, where they were staying at a family member’s home.
The couple barricaded themselves inside, triggering an eight-hour standoff during which police deployed tear gas before finally taking them into custody.
While Steven denied killing Kayla, Narena claimed he wanted her dead as payback for the prison time he had served for her assault.
“There were rumors that Kayla’s murder was some sort of wedding present to Narena,” Peterson said, “though we were never able to substantiate that.”
On March 21, 2024, a jury convicted Steven of homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Narena Bales pled guilty to secondary homicide. She was sentenced to 13 and a half years to 30 years in prison. Sierra Bemis pled no contest to second-degree homicide. She was sentenced to 18 to 30 years in prison. Alexander Ficco pled guilty to tampering with evidence and accessory after the fact. He was sentenced to five to 10 years in prison.
Brin and Kaylyn pleaded no contest and were sentenced to 40 to 60 years.