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A woman who disappeared as a teenage girl from a small Arizona town has been found alive after being reported as missing 32 years ago, authorities said.
Christina Marie Plante, 13, “vanished without a trace” from Star Valley, about 90 miles northeast of Phoenix, the Gila County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release Wednesday, April 1.
The sheriff’s office said Plante, who went by the nickname “Tina,” was last seen on the afternoon of May 15, 1994, when she left her home to walk to the stables where her horses were kept.
“Her identity has been confirmed by law enforcement and her missing person status has been officially resolved,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Out of respect for Christina’s privacy and well-being, no additional details will be released at this time.”
“Thorough underground search and interviews”
The agency wrote that law enforcement and volunteers conducted “an exhaustive (underground) search and interviews” and participated in “extensive search operations” at the time of the girl’s disappearance.
“For years, this case has remained unsolved and investigators periodically revisit evidence,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office said Plante was identified through new leads developed through “advanced technology, modern investigative techniques, and detailed case investigation.”
Where was Christina Marie Plante discovered?
It was not immediately clear where Plante was found, where he is now, or whether he was reunited with his family or loved ones.
Gila County Sheriff J. Adam Shepherd could not be reached for comment.
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund. Jose R. Gonzalez is a reporter for The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network.
