The Unsolved Kidnapping & Murder of Chairo Garibay

The morning of December 11th, 2005 was supposed to be a celebratory occasion for Chairo Garibay and her family members. That morning, the 20-year-old planned to meet her parents at St. Joseph's church in Marysville, California, for the Mass of Our Lady, The Virgin of Guadalupe at 5 AM. The church is an approximate 15-20minute drive away from the family's home in Olivehurst. When Chairo did not show up as planned, her parents initially thought she was still sleeping. 

However, when they returned to their home around 9:30 AM, they noticed that Chairo was not home, and the family vehicle was missing. Oddly enough, though, Chairo's purse and identification were still inside the house.

Unbeknownst to the Garibays, their family car had actually been discovered by police just a half an hour earlier. It was partly submerged in the Bear River. Chairo was not inside the car, nor was any sign of her found on the scene. Once police were able to speak to the Garibays about the vehicle, Chairo was reported missing. 

The Bear River, where Chairo's car was found.

An initial look around the Garibay home did not reveal any obvious signs of forced entry. Then, when police took a look around the residence, they noticed that one of the windows in the back of the house was ajar and the screen was on the ground. Chairo's parents stated that they did not believe the window was in that condition prior to the morning of December 11th. From that point forward, police began investigating a potential kidnapping in Chairo's case.

Weeks passed without any sign of Chairo. Then, in January 2006, local residents found a body in an open field less than a mile away from Chairo's home. The body was "wrapped in black tarp material, with broken pieces of cement wrapped inside." It did not take long for the body to be identified as that of Chairo Garibay. She had been murdered--an autopsy had determined that blunt force trauma was the cause of her death.

Investigators have reportedly interviewed anybody who might have spoken to Chairo in the days leading up to her disappearance. Those closest to her, including her boyfriend and parents, have all been cleared of suspicion. Since then, leads in Chairo's case have been far and few in between.

Chairo's murder remains unsolved. The Yuba County Sheriff's Office is investigating. If you have any information that could lead to her murderer, please contact the investigative unit at (530) 749-7777.

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Sources:
Appeal Democrat
Fox 40