Mylah Rose Thelen was a bright, energetic 13-year-old who could light up any room with her smile. A seventh grader at Portland Middle School, she loved Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu she earned medals competing with Lyons BJJ along with being outdoors and hanging out with her dog, Shadow. Family and friends remembered her as tough and resilient, especially after dealing with bullying earlier in her life. She started training in martial arts around age 9 to build her confidence, and those who knew her described her as adventurous, competitive, and a real force to be reckoned with.
March 29, 2026 came soon after her thirteenth birthday on the eleventh. In the quiet of her room, her father discovered she was gone. She had taken her own life. Grieving but determined, her family now shares what happened because silence won’t protect children. A single story might shift how people see young minds breaking under pressure.
A few weeks before that, back on February 21, Mylah headed to what she thought would be a sleepover. Instead, it became a gathering with people of different ages at a trailer park near Portland in Ionia County. Younger teens showed up alongside much older guests. Witnesses say the grown-ups inside had already drifted off when things unfolded.
A tweet from X.
Mylah spoke up one evening, sharing with her mom and dad Rob and Amy Thelen – that she’d been hurt by Blake Kozan, an 18-year-old from St. Johns. Right away, they drove her to the hospital, where medical staff checked her condition before heading next to the Ionia Montcalm Child Advocacy Center. There, someone asked questions in a calm room while others made sure she felt safe throughout. Over days, her parents repeated how deeply wrong it was, stressing again and again that blame never lands on a child so young not when laws clearly say twelve or thirteen isn’t old enough to agree.
A few online clips and messages pointed to a spin-the-bottle moment tied to the claimed event, yet coverage by area sources such as WOOD TV8 focused on the attack at the gathering while not verifying that particular part through official case files.
That day in May 2026, Blake Kozan faced serious charges tied to a child under thirteen. Conviction might bring a lifetime behind bars. When asked questions, he acknowledged physical intimacy yet claimed uncertainty about Mylah’s age. Detention began right away, no release allowed, housed in Ionia County jail. A court review now waits until mid-June on the calendar.
Ionia County Prosecutor Kyle Butler called it a very serious case. The sheriff’s office started investigating right after the family reported the assault and kept working on it after Mylah’s death. Portland Public Schools also cooperated with law enforcement.
The family set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses and a headstone. Services were held in early April. Rob and Amy have shared that Mylah really struggled after the alleged assault, but they didn’t see clear immediate warning signs of suicide. They wonder if there might have been additional bullying at school that she kept hidden from them.
This sad situation started many talks on the internet, particularly on X, where discussions grew about parents watching their teens during mixed-age parties. When older adults are present at youth sleepovers, risks rise – something now drawing sharp attention. Bullying came up too, tied closely to emotional harm. Support systems for young minds after painful events must improve, many say. In Michigan and elsewhere, confusion spreads about how such events occur without stronger safeguards.
Out in the open now, Mylah’s experience ties into wider conversations across the country. Quick help after tough moments matters, especially for younger teenagers going through silent struggles. Behind steady faces, signals often go unnoticed – yet they’re there. Support must arrive fast, shaped by awareness, not waiting until breaking points show. What looks like strength might just be silence wearing a mask.
One thing her family wants is for people to know what went wrong, so maybe others can avoid something similar. If someone knows anything extra, they should reach out the Ionia County Sheriff’s Office is still looking into it.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24/7 call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
The case is still ongoing. Kozan is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
