Daviess County Sheriff Brad Youngman said Friday that detectives have determined the reported assault at a Whitesville business earlier this month never occurred, and that the woman who made the allegations has now admitted to fabricating the crime.
Kylen Edge, 29, was arrested Friday and charged with one count of false report of an incident to law enforcement, a Class A misdemeanor.
(Watch a video stream of the full media conference here.)
Youngman said the investigation began on August 13 after deputies were called to a business on Old Leitchfield Road for what was initially reported as a violent assault involving allegations of rape, assault, and burglary. The report “quickly gained widespread attention” and became the main focus of his office and partner agencies, he said.
“Much like the people of Whitesville, Daviess County, and Ohio County, we were very concerned and eager to bring a perpetrator to justice,” Youngman said.
He added that detectives immediately launched an intensive investigation, gathering tips from the public, reviewing video footage from homes, vehicles, and school buses, and narrowing the alleged timeframe to less than 10 minutes — between 4:50 and 4:59 p.m.
As the case progressed, Youngman said, detectives began to identify inconsistencies between the physical evidence and the initial report. He stated that a medical examination conducted at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital did not substantiate key portions of the allegations. Detectives conducted dozens of interviews, including with individuals who had been named as possible suspects.
“Several days into the investigation, detectives realized that information obtained during the canvas of the area and evidence collected at the scene did not support the allegations,” Youngman said.
Youngman said that on August 28, the woman who had reported the assault — identified as Kylen Edge — was interviewed again in the presence of her attorney. She was read her Miranda rights and ultimately admitted to detectives that the attack never took place, he said.
“She did admit to detectives that the attack did not occur and that she had caused her own injuries and staged the crime scene prior to the report being made,” Youngman said. “To ensure that the case was complete and to ease anyone’s mind that may otherwise have doubt in this development, she was asked by detectives about specific portions of her report, to which she provided details that would not have been known to anyone else.”
Youngman added, “I can confirm that, in addition to the physical and technical evidence compiled, coupled with her detailed statement admitting that she lied, this attack never occurred.”
Youngman said a warrant was obtained through the Daviess County Attorney’s Office, and Edge surrendered Friday morning at 9 a.m. She was charged with falsely reporting an incident to law enforcement, a Class A misdemeanor.
County Attorney John Burlew said Edge faces up to 12 months in jail and/or a $500 fine if convicted. While the statute allows for restitution to cover investigative costs, Youngman said the office’s primary focus was resolving the case.
The case drew significant resources, with assistance from the Sheriff’s Office drone and K9 units, the Owensboro Police Department crime scene unit, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky State Police, and multiple local fire departments. Youngman praised DCSO Detective Sgt. Kelsey Skaggs and other investigators for their persistence, saying they “worked this case nonstop in the evenings and on the weekends.”
He said while the result was not what anyone expected, it was important to bring clarity to the community.
“I am glad to report that, for one, a young woman was not attacked in our community; two, there is not and never was a danger to the public; and three, the truth was able to be uncovered,” Youngman said.
The sheriff acknowledged the fear that spread throughout Whitesville and beyond in the days after the initial report. Residents bought alarm systems, changed routines, and in some cases grew suspicious of neighbors, he said.
“Disturbingly, people were becoming suspicious of others based on the type of vehicle they drove or other various physical characteristics — all based off rumors and misinformation being circulated by word of mouth and online,” he added.
Whitesville Mayor Patsy Mayfield, who also responded to the scene in her role as a firefighter, said residents should now feel reassured.
“I’m sure when they get the word out that this is not true, they’re going to feel at ease at night when they go to bed,” Mayfield said. “I had several calls at City Hall. They were really scared. But right now, I think they’re going to really feel at ease.”
Youngman emphasized that his office takes sexual assault reports seriously and urged survivors not to be discouraged by this case.
“Do not let this become an obstacle for your healing and your pursuit for justice,” he said, adding that DCSO has “tremendous resources for investigating sex assaults.”
Court documents show that Edge was booked at DCDC the morning of August 29 but was released shortly after she posted a $250 cash bond. She is scheduled to be arraigned on September 24 in Daviess District Court before Judge Misty Miller.
