Stephanie Lain Fender Loftin, 51, was shot and killed the night of December 3 into the early morning of December 4, 2023, in southern Love County, Oklahoma. Her body was later found buried in a clandestine grave in the western part of the county. She had been reported missing from Lamar County, Texas, on December 6, 2023.

A rental vehicle registered in her name was discovered abandoned in Stephens County, Oklahoma, on December 14. Deputies from Stephens and Love County say an extensive investigation pieced together events that led to her disappearance and death. Authorities identified her estranged boyfriend, Michael Gonzalez, as the primary suspect; an arrest warrant was issued and he was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department before being returned to Oklahoma. He faces first-degree murder charges in Love County and an unauthorized use of a motor vehicle charge in Stephens County.

If anyone has information about Stephanie, her movements in early December 2023, or the vehicle found in Stephens County, please come forward.