Kevin Graves was a 28-year-old mechanic from Highland Township, Michigan. He lived with his girlfriend Kaela Covington and her two children. Kevin had a close relationship with his parents and siblings. He spoke to his mother every day and visited his father several times a week.
Not only did Kevin struggle with depression and substance abuse, but he also had bipolar disorder. According to his sister Kellie Farley, Kevin had stopped taking his medication because it made him lethargic.
On June 27, 2018, Kevin and Kaela drove to the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, about 200 miles from Highland Township. The couple, along with two other friends, were attending Electric Forest, a multi-genre music festival focusing on electronic and jam bands.
On the last day of the event, July 1, Kevin and Kaela got into an argument. He was visibly upset and stormed off, claiming he was going back to the campground. When Kaela went to their tent a while later, he was not there. Kaela and her friends spent the next few hours searching for him. They were forced to report him missing and Kaela called his parents to tell them she couldn’t find their son.
A camper staying next to them recalled seeing Kevin crying but didn’t know where he had gone.
Authorities and volunteers conducted searches with the help of police dogs. Divers searched nearby bodies of water and there were flyovers of the location. Meanwhile, Kevin’s family and friends searched the streets, visited homeless shelters, hospitals, beaches, and parks. No sign of Kevin was found.
According to Kaela, Kevin had been acting odd for a few days. He accused her of calling the FBI on him and of cheating on him with a friend of theirs, who was also at the festival.
Shortly after Kevin walked away from his girlfriend and friends, he withdrew $200 from an atm. Neither his phone nor wallet has ever been located.
In the days right after he went missing, there were various reported sightings of Kevin.
A noteworthy report was from a woman who believes she saw Kevin three days after he vanished. Fifteen minutes away from Electric Forest, at San Marco’s Mexican Restaurant, a man was seen begging outside and then arguing with someone on the phone. They were under the influence.
An employee at the restaurant also recalled a barefoot man in dirty tan shorts who used the establishment’s phone for half an hour.
Interestingly, authorities discovered that one of Kevin’s friends had been staying at a hotel right next to the restaurant, the Rodeway Inn. A pair of tan shorts were found outside this hotel. At the time, authorities were trying to contact this unnamed friend, but their phone seemed to be off. It is unknown if police were able to track them down.
There are a few theories as to what happened to Kevin. The majority of people seem to believe he left the music festival alive. However, overdose and suicide have also been suggested. His family believes he may have seen or heard something that made him upset causing him to leave the event.
About a month after he vanished, Kaela cut all communication with Kevin’s family. Richard Mobley, her father who had lived with Kevin for over a year, believes he wanted to disappear. He says Kevin had insinuated he was not returning from the festival.
Although authorities say there is no evidence of such, dozens of people have contacted Kevin’s family and police claiming he joined The Twelve Tribes. His sister received nearly 100 messages about the matter.
Deemed to be a cult, The Twelve Tribes’ belief system is a mixture of Christian Fundamentalism, the Hebrew Roots movement, Messianic Judaism, and the Sacred Name Movement. They own two buses, Peacemaker and Peacemaker II, and a ship, Peacemaker Marine.
The group, founded in 1972, is known for following musicians and bands such as Bob Dylan, Phish, Grateful D*ead, and Widespread Panic. They can be seen at the venues providing emergency medical care.
The Twelve Tribes have been criticized for recruiting vulnerable people into becoming members at concerts. Though a representative of the group claims neither of their busses or any members were at Electric Forest that weekend, some attendees recall seeing Peacemaker II. The representative also said no one in their communes (around the US and some international) had seen Kevin.
Members work at various cafes, farms, stores, and construction companies owned by the group in exchange for a free place to live. They have been scrutinized for beating their children, homophobia, and misogyny. They claim to not be racist, but believe slavery is necessary.
James Tierney, who was at the festival with Kevin and Kaela, does not believe Kevin would have been persuaded by the group. Not only was he an atheist, but it would also be unlikely that he’d join a group that condemned alcohol and drugs.
Tierney recalls Kevin talking about his wish to grow marijuana. He believes it is possible that he may have gone west to work on a marijuana farm.
Kevin’s family has not stopped looking for him. In June of 2019, they were at Electric Forest distributing flyers. Kevin has a USMC tattoo in his left shoulder, red lips on his right hip, and an Aquarius sign on his right forearm.
Anyone with information can contact his family through their Facebook page or call Michigan State Police Hart Post at 231–873–2171. There is a $5,000 reward for locating him.
