On April 23, 2001, Velda Chimoni was fatally shot during a robbery at a Whataburger on West Indian School Road in Phoenix. Over two decades later, her case remains unsolved, and her family continues to seek answers and justice.

Sources:

https://silentwitness.org/cases/homicide-velda-chimoni-450-w-indian-school-road-whataburger/

https://silentwitness.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2001-4094-Flyer.pdf

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In 1983, 18-year-old Terri McCauley, an Omaha Tribe member and mother of two, disappeared in Sioux City, Iowa. Days later, she was found murdered and for over 40 years, her case went cold. In January 2025, a suspect was finally indicted.

Sources:

https://www.ktiv.com/2025/01/13/man-arrested-1983-murder-terri-mccauley-sioux-city/?outputType=amp

https://www.iowapublicradio.org/ipr-news/2025-01-13/a-break-in-an-iowa-cold-case-more-than-40-years-later

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2025/01/15/man-arrested-for-1983-killing-of-sioux-city-woman-terri-mccauley/77692881007/

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Elijah Maney, 25, member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was last seen after midnight on Aug. 10, 2025 entering the woods near 886 Lambert Branch Rd, Yellowhill Community, Cherokee, NC.

He is described as 5’6”, slim build, medium brown skin, brown eyes, long straight black hair. Last seen in black t-shirt over white, black jeans, black shoes.

If you have information regarding his whereabouts, please call the Cherokee Indian Police Department at (828) 497-4131 | Anonymous tips via Cherokee Police app.

Donations for the family’s search efforts (gas/food) can be sent to Elijah’s sister via:

Cash app: $RaePepion13

Venmo: @Raven-Pepion

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Tiffany Reid, a 16-year-old from the Navajo Nation, left for school in Shiprock, New Mexico and never made it. Days later, her belongings were found miles away. Twenty years later, her family is still searching for answers. What happened to Tiffany?

Sources:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna166378

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On the morning of January 25, 2022, in Tacoma, Washington, a 21-year-old Aidan Spear was on her way to rehab. She sent a message saying she’d be late. After that, she was never heard from again. This episode explores the silence surrounding her disappearance and how stigma and victim blaming continue to fail missing Indigenous women.

Sources:

https://charleyproject.org/case/aidan-victoria-spear

https://medium.com/@Dallymunoz/disappearance-of-aiden-spear-609ad6479c36

https://wsp.wa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Aidan-Spear.pdf

https://www.facebook.com/share/1AgobD4hL9/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/pierce-county-detectives-searching-for-missing-21-year-old-woman.amp

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Sahela “Shy” Sangrait is a 21-year-old Native woman from South Dakota who went missing in August 2024. Shy’s remains were found seven months later, and an airman from Ellsworth Air Force Base has been charged with her murder.

We break down what’s known so far, the ongoing legal process, and how overlapping jurisdictions continue to delay justice for Shy — and for so many families across Indian Country.

Sources:

Ellsworth airman pleads not guilty to murder of Sahela Sangrait

U.S. airman charged with murdering woman who vanished in August : NPR

https://kbhbradio.com/court-documents-show-second-person-charged-in-murder-investigation/

https://www.newscenter1.tv/update-ellsworth-airman-arrested-in-sahela-sangrait-case

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In this episode of We Are Resilient, we remember Jadie Butterfly, an Indigenous woman who was tragically killed on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana in December 2024, at just 19 years old. Her case remains open and her family is still waiting for answers.

This is a reminder of the strength it takes to keep fighting, even when the system remains silent.

Sources:

https://montanafreepress.org/2025/05/05/on-mmip-day-of-awareness-blackfeet-father-demands-justice/

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Dzayoq2wp/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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**Listener Request**

In 1972, 20-year-old Jeannette Kamahele disappeared while hitchhiking near the Cotati onramp of Highway 101 in Santa Rosa, California. Last seen getting into a faded brown pickup truck, she was never heard from again. Though often linked to the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders, Jeannette’s case stands apart as she is the only presumed victim never found.

This episode is part of our Lost Coast series, highlighting MMIP cases across Northern California. These are the places where Indigenous women have gone missing, and where silence has often followed. Today, we focus on Jeannette, not just what was taken from her, but what justice still demands.

Sources:

https://oag.ca.gov/missing/person/jeanette-kamahele-0

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/santa-rosa-hitchhiker-murders/

https://www.santarosahitchhikermurders.com/articles.php

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Rosa_hitchhiker_murders

https://charleyproject.org/case/jeannette-kamahele

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