Missing Indigenous woman found months after ominous Facebook message
Corrections & Clarifications: Information about who was paid for information about Kristelle Day was incorrect in a previous version of the article.
A missing Indigenous woman from Glendale was found alive after her Alaskan family traveled to Arizona to look for her and recruited assistance from a New Mexico-based attorney and a private investigator.
The family of Kristelle Day grew worried after receiving a Facebook Messenger message from her on December 22, 2023. Attorney Darlene Gomez, who specializes in cases concerning murdered and missing Indigenous women at her New Mexico law office, told The Arizona Republic Day's message detailed that "she was in fear for her life, that she didn't feel safe, that she wanted to leave immediately."
Day's half-sister, Amanda Togise, said the family's last contact with Day was on Feb. 29. On that day, using a borrowed cellphone, Day briefly wished her son, who currently lives in Alaska, a happy birthday. For days afterward, the family did not receive any further communication from her.
After that Facebook Messenger message, the family had called in a welfare check for Day, who was allegedly experiencing domestic violence from her then-boyfriend. When officials checked up on Day, she told them she was fine, but her boyfriend was “within earshot,” Gomez said, explaining that victims of domestic violence are less likely to be honest about what’s happening when the alleged abuser is nearby.
They heard nothing more for weeks.
Family members reached out to the Glendale Police Department and the Phoenix Police Department and weren't able to have Day considered a missing person until Gomez spoke with a Glendale sergeant over the phone on Feb. 28, Gomez said.
“The family had called like three times to file the report,” Gomez said.
Togsie said she and other family members had contacted Glendale police on Jan. 30, 31 and Feb. 6 requesting welfare checks for Day.
A Glendale police spokesperson said officers were unable to reach Day on each of these occasions. Her rumored whereabouts fell outside that city's jurisdiction, the spokesperson said.
Togsie added that the family also reached out to Phoenix police. She expressed disappointment with how officials handled her half-sister's case.
"It's been really frustrating and I'm feeling really let down, like we can't even depend on the law enforcement to take our concern seriously," Togsie said.
Gomez said two family members had flown from Alaska to Arizona to look for Day, door knocking in Glendale and putting up flyers. They contacted her law firm, which hired a private investigator to help find her. They were successful, she said.
A man had contacted family members stating he knew where Day was and asked them to send him $2,000 to learn of her whereabouts, Gomez said. He was paid $100, she said.
Gomez told The Republic the family had reunited with Day.
Gomez believes Glendale police should have been more responsive to the family's concerns about Day's whereabouts.
"Every life matters," she said. "Everybody deserves equal justice."
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Missing Indigenous woman found alive months later
