"Let's not let what happened to Makayla happen to anyone else. She was just a baby, she was 18." Local polygraph examiner Kelly Duhs is issuing a massive call to action to ensure the death of Makayla Settles doesn’t result in her alleged attacker walking free.
Makayla moved from North Carolina to Moorpark in July 2025 to live with her biological father, Stephen Vincent Chavez. Just two days later, she was hospitalized for an alleged sexual assault. While her family states a rape kit confirmed the presence of Chavez’s DNA, the Ventura County District Attorney has only filed charges for felony incest, taking advantage of a position of trust, and providing alcohol to a minor.
Tragically, Makayla died by suicide five months later.
The case now faces a major legal hurdle: the DA’s office has reportedly told the family that because Makayla is no longer alive to testify, the case may not go to a full jury trial. Kelly Duhs and Makayla’s cousin, Crystal Sandoval, are rallying the community to flood the Ventura County Courthouse on May 19 for a preliminary hearing.
The goal is to show the DA that the public is watching and that Makayla’s voice still matters through the physical evidence. "Why is it important for everybody to show up on May 19th? Because we are better in numbers," Duhs said. "My motto these days is 'we are women, hear us roar.' We do not take this crap anymore from anybody, especially pedophiles."
Chavez is currently out on $250,000 bail. If convicted on the current charges, he faces a maximum of only three years in prison.
Supporters say we cannot let this case be swept under the rug.
Will you be there to stand for Makayla on May 19?
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