Christine Lester was 24 when she vanished from her home in Indian Wells, Arizona, in spring 1987. On the morning of May 5 she told family she planned to hitchhike to the Flagstaff Mall to buy Mother’s Day gifts; her family never saw her again. Sixteen days later human remains were found beside a rural road in Madera County, California, and the person was entered in records as Jane Doe.

In May 2023 DNA testing finally identified the Jane Doe as Christine Lester, bringing a form of closure to a family that had hoped for her return for thirty-six years. Her death is being investigated as a homicide, though authorities have not disclosed the cause of death. A strange, explicit letter sent to the family years after her disappearance is cited as a puzzling element investigators are still examining. No arrests or suspects have been publicly named, and the Madera County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information to come forward.

If anyone knew Christine, saw her in Arizona or along possible travel routes in 1987, or has information about the letter, can you help investigators?