Content warning: This article describes sexual assault and murder. Please take care while reading.
The small town of Vandalia, Illinois, is shocked after investigators found 14-year-old Kylie Toberman dead behind her home. Searchers found her body the same day someone reported her missing. Authorities now allege a trusted family member killed her.
On Friday, November 14, 2025, Toberman vanished in the early morning hours. That same day, searchers discovered Toberman’s body in an RV parked behind the family residence. Investigators say her step-uncle, 43-year-old Arnold B. Rivera Jr., lived in the RV. Toberman lived with her adopted mother and two sisters when she died.
What happened to Kylie Toberman?
According to charging documents, Rivera Jr. sexually assaulted Toberman, then strangled her. Immediately afterward, police say he put her body in a tote and hid it in his RV. Following a search, during which authorities warned the public not to approach Rivera Jr., police took him into custody, according to local news outlet KSDK. Authorities have now charged Rivera Jr.with first-degree murder. In addition, he’s also charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault and concealing a homicidal death, according to the Illinois State Police.
Rivera reportedly had a criminal history. In 2000, authorities accused him of burglary and sexual abuse of a child aged between 9 and 16 years old. Prosecutors dropped those charges in exchange for a plea. Authorities are holding River Jr. without bond. His arraignment is scheduled for Monday, November 17, 2025, at the Fayette County Courthouse in Vandalia.
“Now my baby is an angel”
In a statement, Toberman’s biological mother, Megan Zeller, expressed heartbreak and frustration over her daughter’s death, saying that she “thought I could trust somebody and now my baby is an angel.”
A student at Vandalia Junior High, near St. Louis and the Missouri border, Toberman participated in the school’s wrestling program and the local club team, where she earned admiration for her tenacity and spirit. According to KSDK, her mother called her “sassy” and smart, and said she loved her sisters and animals.
Kylie’s wrestling club posted on social media: “It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that we lost one of our wrestlers, Kylie Toberman… Our team and community are grieving the loss of such a sweet and bright young girl.”
Toberman’s school, Vandalia Junior High, released a statement, which read in part, “We recognize that this news is incredibly difficult for students, staff, and families. Our crisis response team and school counselors will be available on Monday and in the days ahead to offer support.”
