Kala Brown is a survivor of two months of torture and sexual assault at the hands of convicted murderer Todd Kohlhepp. Her nightmare started in late August when Kala and her then-boyfriend drove to Todd’s rural property in South Carolina to do some work. Todd killed Charles immediately and, for two months, he made Kala his sex slave.
Authorities rescued Brown after visiting Todd’s property in search of Kala and Charles. Brown banged on the walls of the steel shipping container that had been her prison for two months to alert authorities to her location.
Kala settled in South Carolina after receiving $6.3 million in damages from Todd’s estate
Kala had known Todd for five years before he abducted her. An ex-boyfriend had introduced her to the real estate broker, who offered Brown jobs to help her earn extra cash.
Charles and Kala believed that the trip to Todd’s property was for one of Kala’s usual jobs. Kala could barely move or utter a word after Todd shot Charles thrice in the chest. “He [Todd] said it was easier to control someone if you took someone they loved,” she later told Dr. Phil.
Kala spent the next two months chained to the sides of a metal shipping container. In the early afternoon, Todd would untie her and force her to perform sexual acts on him. She survived on one meal a day and was allowed one toilet break per day.
To throw authorities off the scent, Todd updated Charles’s Facebook feed with posts claiming that Charles and Kala had gotten married, bought a house, and were expecting a child. He only succeeded in raising suspicion that all was not well.
Police later discovered that Charles and Kala were due to work on Todd’s property on 31st August. They found Kala, Charles’s car, the grave he was buried in, and an assortment of guns and rifles on Todd’s property.
Kala told Dr. Phil that Todd hoped that she would develop feelings for her captor and agree to live with him. However, authorities disagree with Kala’s assertion as they found a pre-dug hole next to Charles’ grave. They believe that Todd intended to murder Kala.
Todd would admit to Charles’s murder and six other murders. He avoided the death penalty by accepting a plea deal, which offered Charles seven consecutive life sentences. Todd claims there are more victims but won’t reveal their identities.
A court awarded Kala $6.3 million in damages from Todd’s estate. She settled in Anderson, South Carolina, with her partner and their daughter.
Brown’s ex-fiancé committed suicide, and her ex-boyfriend was arrested for domestic assault
After her rescue, Brown pursued a relationship with Adam Mayson. The couple got engaged before Adam died of a self-inflicted stab wound to the chest. Doctors tried to save Mayson, but during treatment, he went into cardiac arrest and passed away. Following Adam’s death, Kala gave a statement saying:
“I am heartbroken today over the loss of my fiancé. Adam was a true gift from God. He brought me great happiness and comfort during a very dark time. Building a life together restored my joy and gave me hope for the future. Please join me in praying for God’s peace to be upon Adam’s family as they, too, are grieving this tragic loss.”
Later in the year, Brown started dating James Devon Moore. In July 2019, Brown and Moore were arrested for domestic assault. Brown’s attorney, David Wyatt, said: “She’s obviously having a hard time.”
Kala’s spokesperson, Jenny Dial, told The Greenville News that Kala was off her meds when the assault occurred. “Kala was off her medicine, and she had an altercation with a friend which has been resolved,” Jenny said.
Since 2019, Kala has avoided the headlines, and therefore, there are very few details about her life now. Her current partner’s name and daughter’s identity are unknown.