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'Scared' missing woman last seen on CCTV fleeing hotel barefoot and 'banging on doors'

Layla Santanello, 20, was last seen running barefoot from a hotel in Kingsport, Tennessee, in June 2023 - her family are desperately trying to find her but police believe she's dead

[Layla Santanello, 20, vanished from Kingsport, Tennessee, in June 2023]

Layla Santanello, 20, vanished from Kingsport, Tennessee, in June 2023(Image: Brittany Zeitler / SWNS)

The family of a missing woman last seen fleeing barefoot from a hotel have ramped up their campaign to "bring her home" - as police believe she is dead. Layla Santanello, 20, disappeared from Kingsport, Tennessee, in June 2023, where she was captured on CCTV looking "scared" and "banging on doors".

Three years later, on 26 June 2026, Kingsport Police Department (KPD) declared "it is the belief of the lead detective working the investigation that Layla is dead."

Now, her stepmother Brittany Zeitler, 34, has revealed how the family are "working tirelessly" spreading Layla's details across billboards, in chemists and at petrol pumps to urge anyone with information to come forward.

[Layla's family are desperate to find her]

Layla's family are desperate to find her(Image: Brittany Zeitler / SWNS)

Brittany suspects Layla may have suffered an accidental overdose and that those present panicked and got rid of her body.

Brittany, from Kingsport, Tennessee, says: "The police have given a statement saying she is believed to be unalive through thousands of hours of ground searching, interviews, tips that have come in, subpoenas, and search warrants.

"I know they are not going to come to out with such a statement if they do not have the credibility to it.

"Ultimately I still have doubt it's really true. She just completely went off the face of the earth and we have nothing, absolutely nothing.

[Brittany suspects Layla may have suffered an accidental overdose]

Brittany suspects Layla may have suffered an accidental overdose(Image: Brittany Zeitler / SWNS)

"The place we have her on camera or any surveillance is at the Americourt Hotel in Kingsport. We saw her running scared, banging on doors.

"She was not herself, she was not in the right state of mind and there was something wrong at that time."

Layla was reported missing on June 27, 2023, after her phone went unanswered. Brittany and George, 45, Layla's father, requested a welfare check from the Kingsport Police Department.

The pair claim her boyfriend Michael David Thompson, 21 told officers Layla was staying at a mate's house, asked him for a lift at 4am, but when he turned up she was nowhere to be seen.

[Layla was reported missing on June 27, 2023]

Layla was reported missing on June 27, 2023(Image: Brittany Zeitler / SWNS)

"They told him she went outside to smoke a cigarette and just vanished. Which obviously is impossible - we don't just disappear off the planet," Brittany told Talk to the Press.

As police investigated further, they uncovered that Layla had been at the Americourt Hotel that evening. Witnesses described her as panicked, terrified, and hammering on doors.

"She was acting erratic, and there was a large police presence at the hotel," Brittany said.

"We know she met with someone, but the last confirmed sighting is her running into a field. And then - nothing."

[Layla with her mum and daughter]

Layla with her mum and daughter(Image: Brittany Zeitler / SWNS)

Two weeks into Layla's disappearance, Brittany received mysterious Cash App requests from Layla's account, she said.

One allegedly said "We have Layla. She owes a drug debt, and if she doesn't pay, you'll find her chopped up into pieces", according to Brittany.

They transferred money before discovering Michael was behind the messages. Michael was charged with financial exploitation, credit card fraud, and identity theft.

He remains behind bars on these charges, but authorities have not connected him to Layla's disappearance.

Brittany hasn't given up, she says.

[Layla had been at the Americourt Hotel that evening]

Layla had been at the Americourt Hotel that evening(Image: Brittany Zeitler / SWNS)

"We just want the right facts, the right timeline, the right places known - so the people responsible know we are coming," Brittany said. "We are not backing down.

"We need answers. Layla deserves that. We all do.

"It's devastating, so devastating to know that law enforcement currently updated the public on her not being alive.

"A lot of people are in uproar saying how can we face such things if we don't have remains.

"There has been extensive hours and years of investigating this ongoing case and a lot of people are taking this as us surrendering to the case and giving up.

"That is absolutely not the case.

"I feel this is definitely going to provide what we're looking for and needing, and that's to find Layla.

"George and I are working tirelessly around the clock providing digital billboards, which are not cheap.

"There are four billboards active and one screen playing in a pharmacy and also gas pumps for screen time.

"They're going for one month right now but we want to expand that time as much as possible.

"I really think with all the attention it is getting right now a small group of people knows what happened to Layla, is responsible for Layla and someone's going to cave.

"Someone's going to slip."

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