SAN JUAN COUNTY, N.M. – Authorities believe a Mennonite woman who went missing in New Mexico in January was kidnapped and murdered.
The San Juan Sheriff’s Office says the body of 27-year-old Sasha Krause was found on Monday near Flagstaff, Arizona, about 250 miles away from her Crouch Mesa home.
A camper found Krause’s body near the Sunsey Crater National Monument, according to the sheriff’s office. Officials determined it was Krause’s body through fingerprints.
"Obviously, when we find, uh, in a circumstance like this, we will, we will reach out to other agencies,” said Jon Paxton with the Coconino Sheriff's Office. “If there are similarities in what we found and what they have and their missing persons report."
Authorities in both states are investigating the case as a kidnapping-homicide.
"This is a unique investigation,” said San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari. “The San Juan County Sheriff's Office is looking at the kidnapping, while the Coconino County Sheriff's office is investigating the homicide."
Right now, officers say they know the cause of Krause’s death, but they’re not ready to release it.
“We’ve partnered with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and federal authorities in trying to identify and apprehend the individual responsible for Sasha’s kidnap and murder,” said Ferrari. “We are fully committed to capturing this individual and bringing peace to the Krause family.”
Detectives are asking the community to help provide them with any information about Krause’s disappearance and death. If you know anything about the case, contact Silent Witness at (928) 774-6111 or Coconino County Sheriff’s Detective Jones at (928) 226-5038.
CNN and KOAT contributed to this report.
