Vigil at Fresno State shines light on missing, murdered Indigenous women as cases remain unsolved

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Across the state and successful the Central Valley, determination are continuing calls for justness and answers successful cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and relatives.

According to FBI data, much than 10,000 missing Native American and Alaska Native entries were made into its database successful 2024.

A lawsuit that the Fresno County Sheriff's Office continues to portion unneurotic is the decease of 27-year-old Bessie Walker. Investigators proceed to look into each imaginable lead.

"It is classified arsenic a suspicious death," said Tony Botti with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office. "Something encouraging is that past month, the Bureau of Indian Affairs got involved."

Walker's case, on with galore others, was remembered during a vigil held astatine Fresno State. Families, Central California tribes, and assemblage members gathered to grant Indigenous women, girls and relatives whose cases stay unresolved.

"Families privation that closure," said Elaine Bethel Fink, the Tribal Chairwoman with the North Fork Rancheria. "They privation to support trying to find retired wherever their radical are."

In 2023, the CDC reported homicide was the 4th starring origin of decease for Native American and Alaskan Native men 1 to 44 years aged and the sixth starring origin of decease for women successful that aforesaid group.

"We spot the rates of unit climbing," said Dr. Leece Lee-Olive, the Director of American Indian Studies astatine Fresno State. "If idiosyncratic calls to accidental my sister, my mother, my sibling is missing, the effect complaint is
closer to 5 days."

It's been astir 5 years since Walker went missing and was recovered dormant weeks later, conscionable 25 yards from her mother's home. The symptom of losing Bessie inactive ne'er goes distant for her sister, Rayetta Lara.

"She was similar a escaped spirit. She was happy. She had a batch of happiness," said Lara. "No substance what she went through, she was ever smiling."

Rayetta is inactive looking for answers portion holding onto hope.

"It's a conflict each day," said Rayetta. "It gets harder and harder. I person to reassure myself that we volition get justice."

People with accusation successful Walker's lawsuit whitethorn beryllium eligible for a reward of up to $15,000. Of that, $10,000 is disposable done Valley Crime Stoppers, portion the Bureau of Indian Affairs is offering an further $5,000.

People tin taxable tips to the Bureau of Indian Affairs oregon scope retired to Valley Crime Stoppers.

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