Mona Renee Vallo

Mona Renee Vallo, a beloved mother of five and grandmother of nine, was known for her unforgettable laugh and her giving, adventurous spirit. A 56-year-old Native American woman, Mona was an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. Born in Toppenish, Washington, she grew up in the Lower Yakima Valley, attending White Swan High School and Yakima Valley College. Her friends and family remember her as humorous, outgoing, outspoken, and supportive. A lifelong friend described her as a "sister" who was compassionate even as a child. Mona cherished time with her children and grandchildren, enjoying trips to the mountains, pow-wows, rodeos, and ceremonial gatherings. She was also a dedicated keeper of her family's traditions, helping her grandchildren receive their Indigenous names. About four years before her death, she had moved from Washington to Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico, to care for her aging father.

Mona’s life was tragically cut short on the evening of March 9, 2022. Passers-by discovered her body alongside U.S. Route 66 (New Mexico Highway 124) at mile marker 20 in Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico. Investigators determined she had died from injuries consistent with a hit-and-run crash that likely occurred around 7:00 p.m. that same evening. The FBI believes Mona was struck by a larger vehicle, such as a truck or an SUV, which would have sustained damage to its front and possibly its undercarriage. The driver did not stop to render aid, leaving Mona to die by the side of the road.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pueblo of Laguna Public Safety Department are jointly investigating Mona’s death as a homicide. In the months following the incident, the FBI sought the public's help, initially offering a $5,000 reward for information. "The deaths of too many Native American men and women remain unsolved,” said Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the Albuquerque FBI Division. “We are working with the Pueblo of Laguna Public Safety Department to give Mona's family the justice they deserve." By June 2023, with no arrests made, the FBI doubled the reward to $10,000.

Mona’s family has been relentless in their pursuit of justice, traveling from Washington to New Mexico to raise awareness and speak out. Her sons, Adrian and Cecil Jackson, remember their mother as the center of their world, a woman who was proud of her roots and kept their family's traditions alive. In July 2023, seventeen of Mona's family members, including her children and grandchildren, traveled to Albuquerque to attend hearings held by the Not Invisible Act Commission, a federal body tasked with addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people. They shared their story, held a rally, and met with investigators, bearing the financial and emotional costs of their advocacy. "Just a burden, a big burden on our shoulders, not knowing anything," her son Adrian said.

On the first anniversary of her death, family members gathered at Pioneer Park in Toppenish to honor her memory. Her longtime friend, Lisa Foster, described Mona as a positive, bubbly person who could have fun no matter what. She expressed the community's disbelief, stating, "Someone knows something there. They have to. I mean, it's weird that she went to work and then all of a sudden this happened to her."

As of September 2026, Mona Vallo’s case remains unsolved. In a broader effort to address high rates of violence in tribal communities, the FBI established a new minimum reward of $25,000 for unsolved homicides and missing-person cases in Indian Country, including Mona's. The investigation is active, and the FBI is urging anyone with information about the vehicle or the driver involved in this fatal hit-and-run to come forward. Tips can be submitted to the FBI’s Albuquerque office at (505) 889-1300 or online at tips.fbi.gov.