LAGUNA, N.M. – Brittany Starr Waconda’s family wants people to know she is more than a missing-person poster.
Brittany is a sister. A daughter. An auntie. A Denver Broncos fan. A woman who, according to her older sister, made friends wherever she went.
“She is such a good auntie, always asking about her nephews and nieces,” Autumn Waconda said. “She loved Denver Broncos and she was extremely close to my dad. She is a daddy’s girl. She always has a smile on her face and makes friends wherever she goes.”
Now, more than three months after Brittany was last seen, her family is still searching for answers.
According to New Mexico Department of Public Safety missing-person information, Brittany Starr Waconda, 39, was last seen May 18, 2026, in Laguna.
She is listed as missing from Laguna and is described as an American Indian/Alaska Native woman with brown eyes and red or auburn hair. She is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds. Authorities also note she has an unknown tattoo on her left arm.
Joel Wade Scott Courtesy Photo
Anyone with information about Brittany’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Laguna Tribal Police Department at 505-552-6685 or the New Mexico Department of Public Safety Missing Person Hotline at 1-800-4573463.
But Brittany is not the only person whose disappearance is raising questions.
New Mexico DPS also lists Joel Wade Scott as a missing endangered person.
Scott, 27, is listed as missing from Laguna, with a date missing of May 10, 2026. The DPS missing-person information states Scott was last seen wearing jail clothes and asks anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the Laguna Tribal Police Department at 505-552-6666 or the state Missing Person Hotline at 1800-457-3463.
Autumn Waconda said Scott was Brittany’s boyfriend. She said the family believes both disappearances may be connected.
“There’s two,” Autumn said. “It isn’t just my sister. It’s Joel Scott too.”
‘She calls my dad for everything’
Autumn said Brittany was at their father’s property in Seama on May 18. She said village officials reported seeing Brittany and Scott during the day.
Later that night, Autumn said, the family learned Brittany’s trailer was on fire.
Autumn said her aunt saw the fire while returning from Grants around 11:30 p.m. The fire department was called, and family members began trying to reach Brittany.
Autumn said she texted her sister early the next morning.
“I was like, ‘Hey, are you okay? What happened?’” Autumn said. “And she never texted me back. She never opened my message.”
That silence was alarming, Autumn said, because Brittany was especially close to their father.
“She hasn’t been on social media. Her phone is off,” Autumn said. “She hasn’t made contact with my dad. Her and my dad are really, really close. She calls my dad for everything.”
Autumn said even if Brittany had been in trouble or needed help, she believes her sister would have contacted their father.
“By now she would have needed money. She would have called my dad,” Autumn said. “She’s not around.”
The Cibola Citizen has not independently confirmed the cause of the fire at Brittany’s residence. Family representatives have said they want investigators to take another look at the case in light of the fire and Scott’s disappearance.
Juan Escobar, a lawyer and advocate assisting the Waconda family, said the family’s immediate goal is to have the case reassessed by federal authorities with what the family believes is a fuller picture of the circumstances.
Escobar said the family is seeking renewed review that includes Scott’s disappearance.
“Our biggest [goal] is just to have FBI reassess the case with information that we have,” Escobar said.
Escobar said the family believes the FBI was not initially aware Scott was also missing. The Cibola Citizen has not independently confirmed what information was initially provided to federal investigators.
Acoma ConfirmsAssistance
The Cibola Citizen contacted the Acoma Department of Public Safety on Sept. 3 regarding Scott.
Acoma Police Department confirmed Scott is a member of Acoma Pueblo. Representatives of APD said Acoma has provided assistance to Laguna in the matter and confirmed that assistance included information or searches involving Acoma land, roads or waterways.
Representatives said they would need to clarify additional information with Acoma Pueblo Chief of Police Greg Concho before providing more details.
Autumn said she wants law enforcement to treat the two disappearances seriously and together.
“I really, really want the FBI to just take it over,” Autumn said. “So there’s no conflict of interest, and at least people will hopefully take it serious.”
FBI Refers Questions to BIA
The Cibola Citizen has repeatedly contacted the Laguna Police Department seeking public information about Brittany’s disappearance. Those attempts included calls over several weeks and additional calls Sept. 4, when the newspaper was redirected among Pueblo offices before leaving a voicemail seeking comment.
No substantive response from Laguna Police Department had been received as of press time. The Cibola Citizen has been attempting to contact Laguna Police Department since the week of Waconda’s disappearance. The newspaper has been sent to multiple offices within pueblo administration and has not received any information despite the inquiries.
On Sept. 4, FBI Albuquerque responded to questions from the Cibola Citizen. Acting Public Affairs Specialist Emily Ashby said the case is an ongoing investigation and referred questions to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which she identified as the lead agency.
“As this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot share any additional details about the case at this time,” Ashby wrote. “I will refer you to BIA, as they are the lead on this investigation.”
The Cibola Citizen left voicemails with BIA and emailed written questions seeking confirmation of BIA’s role, the status of the Waconda and Scott cases, whether the two disappearances are being investigated as connected, whether the fire is part of the investigation, which agencies are assisting and what information the public should provide.
On Sept. 8, BIA’s Office of Public Affairs acknowledged the inquiry and said it was checking on the matter.
BIA had not provided additional information as of press time.
Family Says Communication Has Been Difficult
Autumn said the family has been frustrated by what it views as a lack of communication and urgency.
She said the family met with Laguna police and asked whether the case had been presented to the FBI. She also said the family has questioned whether investigators pursued tips, phone records and outside resources quickly enough.
The Cibola Citizen has not independently confirmed those investigative steps or the status of any warrants, interviews or searches.
Autumn said the experience has left her feeling that families affected by Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives cases are too often left trying to push investigations forward themselves.
“It’s really heartbreaking, and I never thought my family would be going through this,” Autumn said. “I didn’t really understand the crisis. Families don’t get any help from local law enforcement.”
Autumn has been working to keep Brittany’s name in public view. She has helped put up a billboard, spoken with advocates and media, and created ways for people to share information.
“I just don’t want people to forget about her,” Autumn said.
A Larger Crisis
Brittany Waconda’s disappearance is being followed by her family and advocates as part of the broader Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives crisis, often abbreviated as MMIWR or MMIW.
For families, the crisis is not abstract. It is lived through phone calls that are not returned, searches that feel incomplete, rumors that cannot be verified and long stretches of silence.
Autumn said she has met other families who have spent years seeking answers for missing loved ones.
“It’s just so heartbreaking that there’s other families that are going through this,” Autumn said.
For the Waconda family, the immediate request is simple: keep Brittany’s name and face in public, share accurate information and report anything that could help.
Even information that may seem small could matter.
How to Help
Anyone with information about Brittany Starr Waconda is asked to contact the Laguna Tribal Police Department at 505-552-6685 or the New Mexico Department of Public Safety Missing Person Hotline at 1-800-4573463.
Anyone with information about Joel Wade Scott is asked to contact the Laguna Tribal Police Department at 505-552-6666 or the New Mexico DPS Missing Person Hotline at 1-800-457-3463.
The Waconda family has also created a public awareness page and email account to help gather and share information. Readers should rely on law enforcement for official tips and investigative information.
Autumn Waconda said her family continues to hope someone will come forward. She told the Cibola Citizen: “Brittany is loved. She is missed. And she should not be forgotten.”