Channel 11 speaks to sister of woman found dead in Westmoreland County pond

JEANNETTE, Pa. — For the past week, looking at pictures of her sister has been tough for Cara Kalakewich.

“It’s hard. It is hard,” Kalakewich told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek.

Kalakewich’s sister is Kele Townsend, the woman found dead in a New Stanton pond on Nov. 6.

>>> State police identify woman found dead in Westmoreland County pond

In so many of those pictures, Kalakewich said you can see the kind of person her sister was.

“Her smile was like, contagious,” she noted, looking at a picture from a recent Christmas holiday.

She said she saw the reports of a body being found in a New Stanton pond, but as soon as she saw the pictures of the tattoos released by state police -- she knew it was her sister.

“I did,” she said. “I didn’t even have to read the whole article.”

The two lost their dad in 2019. A year later, their mom passed away.

Kalakewich said they both took it hard and were there for each other. Recently, the two sisters hadn’t talked much and hadn’t seen each other since February. But, she knew Townsend was struggling.

“That was my baby sister. Like, regardless of sibling fights and whatnot, I always loved her and was always going to be here for her,” Kalakewich said.

The Westmoreland County Coroner said Townsend may have been in the pond for months before she was found dead. Kalakewich didn’t expect to be planning a funeral for her 34-year-old sister in such a tragic way, but she says the outpouring of support from Townsend’s friends and the community has been outstanding.

A family friend started a GoFundMe to help pay for the funeral and a celebration of life.

As of Wednesday afternoon, it has raised more than $2,400 in just the last two days. The support, Kalakewich said, has been incredible.

“I’m really not alone,” she said. “The love is just able to carry me through, and the pictures just remind me of how much my sister was loved.”

She said she’s thankful for the state police who have been diligently investigating to find out what happened to her sister, and hopes anyone with information will come forward.

“I just pray that they continue and not give up,” Kalakewich said. “This doesn’t seem right and I just want answers.”

Eventually, Kalakewich said she hopes to start a scholarship in her sister’s name.

The cause of Townsend’s death has not yet been determined.

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