‘I Think I Almost Got Kidnapped’: April Millsap’s Murder Solved by Her iPhone App

As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering April Dawn Millsap with me today. 14-year-old April Millsap was walking her dog on the Macomb Orchard Trail in Armada, Michigan, on July 24, 2014, when she suddenly vanished. Just moments before her disappearance, she texted her boyfriend, “I think I almost got kidnapped omfg.” Her body was later discovered in a drainage ditch, brutally beaten and strangled. April’s dog, Penny, was found nearby, and helped alert passersby to the horrifying scene. The small town was rocked by the shocking murder of this teenage girl, and the case quickly gained national attention as investigators worked tirelessly to identify a suspect.James VanCallis, a 32-year-old man with a criminal history, eventually became the prime suspect in April Millsap’s murder. Though there was no DNA evidence linking him to the crime, investigators used witness testimony, cell phone GPS data, and a distinctive shoe print found on April’s body to build their case. In 2016, VanCallis was found guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and attempted sexual assault, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The murder of April Millsap remains one of Michigan’s most heartbreaking true crime cases, remembered for the way modern technology—like fitness tracking apps—helped bring a killer to justice.