Missing And Murdered Indigenous Cases That Deserve More Attention

Native American communities, and Indigenous women in particular, are the victims of assault, abduction, and murder at rates far higher than the national average.

By: Alexa Rockwell

Suspicious Death: Olivia Lone Bear

The body of Olivia Lone Bear, a North Dakota Indigenous woman, was found in a submerged vehicle nine months after she disappeared.

Unsolved Murder: Stacy Hill

Stacy Hill, a 17-year-old Red Lake Nation girl, was last seen alive in early September 2009, and her remains were located on Oct. 27 that year on the Red Lake Indian Reservation.

Missing: Pepita Redhair

27-year-old Pepita Redhair went missing from Albuquerque, New Mexico on March 24, 2020. Her family fears she may be a victim of human trafficking.

Missing: Emmilee Risling

Emmilee Risling, an indigenous woman and mother, was last seen crossing a bridge in California’s Yurok Reservation in October 2021 and hasn’t been heard from since.

Murdered: Ashlynne Mike

On May 2, 2016, Ashlynne Mike and her 9-year-old brother, Ian, were playing together on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County when Tom Begaye Jr. — a man they didn’t know — drove up in a van and offered them a ride home. They accepted the offer and while Ian made it home safely, tragically, Ashlynne did not.

Murdered/Suspicious Death: Jocelyn Watt and Jade Wagon

In 2019, Jocelyn Watt, and her partner, Rudy Perez, both 30, were fatally shot in their Riverton home. A year later, Jocelyn's sister, Jade Wagon, was found dead on the Wind River Reservation.

Missing: Ashley Loring HeavyRunner

In 2017, Ashley Loring HeavyRunner, a member of Montana’s Blackfeet Nation, expressed a desire to help spotlight the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people across the United States and Canada. She then vanished and hasn’t been seen or heard from since.

Suspicious Death: Ashlea Aldrich

On Jan. 7, 2020, Ashlea Aldrich, 29-year-old mother of two, was found in a farm field on the Omaha Indian Reservation. Her family is still searching for answers about what might have happened.

Missing: Mary Johnson

Mary E. Johnson, then 39, was last seen on Nov. 24, 2020, walking along Firetrail Road on the Tulalip Reservation. Johnson’s estranged husband contacted police and reported her missing on Dec. 9. Nobody has seen or heard from her since.

Missing: Ida Beard

Ida Beard was last seen in El Reno, Oklahoma on June 30, 2015 after telling her mother she was going to visit a friend. Her disappearance has led to a law that aims to eliminate the disparity on the tribal, state and federal levels in how cases involving Indigenous people are coordinated and investigated there.

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Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Native women who live on reservations face a murder rate that is as much as 10 times the U.S. average, and homicide is listed as the third leading cause of their deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

How can you help? If you have information about a missing or murdered Indigenous person, you can submit your tips to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Text BIAMMU and your tip to 847411, call 1-833-560-2065, or email OJS_MMU@bia.gov. Find more information at bia.gov.