CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – Since early May, five individuals have been reported missing from the Grants area, including four teenagers and one adult woman.
As of Monday afternoon, two of those cases remain open and still officially missing, according to statements from local law enforcement agencies and publicly available information from the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.
The individuals reported missing in recent months include five girls and women. Two of them have since been located and are safe:
Destinee Begay, age 15 – Missing May 4, 2025 Loretta Guthrie, age 60 – Missing May 7, 2025 Ericka Estrada, age 17 – Missing June 16, 2025 Leah Marley Leon, age 15 – Missing July 4, 2025 Skyla Cornelius, age 14 – Missing July 10, 2025
While some have been located or otherwise cleared from active investigation, official confirmation remains outstanding in others. Several of the initial public notices were shared only on social media and have not been followed by formal public updates or statewide alerts.
Grants Police Department confirmed Monday that Destinee Begay was located and returned home the same day she was reported missing on May 4. However, as of July 14, her information remained listed in the state’s missing persons clearinghouse.
Cibola County Sheriff Larry Diaz confirmed that Ericka Estrada, age 17, reported missing on June 16, is no longer considered missing. According to Diaz, Estrada was found to be in Gallup with a friend, and her family indicated to deputies that they were aware of her whereabouts and had no concerns for her safety but as of July 14 her case was still listed in the state’s missing persons clearinghouse.
In contrast, the cases of Skyla Cornelius and Loretta Guthrie remain open.
Skyla Cornelius, age 14, was last seen on July 10.
Sheriff Diaz stated that his office believes she may be in Las Cruces or El Paso and that she has reportedly been in contact with her brother. However, the sheriff acknowledged that Cornelius has not been physically located or visually confirmed safe.
According to Sheriff Diaz, Cornelius disappeared in Las Cruces during a family trip.
Diaz said the department is actively working with the Las Cruces Police Department to confirm her safety and bring closure to the case.
Loretta Guthrie, a 60year-old woman experiencing homelessness, was last seen on May 7.
Sheriff Diaz said his office received information from an unnamed individual stating that Guthrie was alive and had traveled to either Albuquerque or Arizona. When asked whether that report came directly from Guthrie herself, Diaz confirmed it did not.
As of Monday, the department has not confirmed Guthrie’s location or safety, and her case remains open.
A fifth case was announced on July 14 by Grants Police Department on Facebook. Leah Marley Leon, age 15, was last seen on Friday, July 4.
According to the department’s notice, posted on Facebook, Leon is approximately five feet tall and weighs 90 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. As of Monday evening, her case had not yet been added to the state’s online missing persons listings.
The newspaper will continue to monitor these cases and report updates as they are confirmed.
Anyone with information related to the location or safety of the individuals mentioned in this report is encouraged to contact the Cibola County Sheriff’s Office at (505) 287-9476, the Grants Police Department at (505) 287-2984, or the New Mexico Missing Persons Hotline at 1-800-457-3463.