Washington task force reports 19 missing person alerts in first four months
New data from the Attorney General's office shows two individuals remain unaccounted for, while tribal leaders advocate for better resources and federal protections.
By Emmanuel Obasi ·
The state of Washington has recorded a steady rise in reported cases involving missing Indigenous residents over the past decade. A new interim report released by the Washington State Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force details the current status of these investigations as of April 2026.
From January through April of this year, the task force received 19 alerts regarding missing persons. Two of those individuals have not yet been located. The report notes that the total number of alerts increases annually as more law enforcement agencies learn to utilize the alert system.
The data highlights the specific challenges faced by tribal communities in the Pacific Northwest. Approximately 124 Indigenous people are currently listed as missing in Washington. One of these cases involves Besalynn James, a Lummi tribal member who went missing on January 20, 2025.
James was reported to the Lummi Nation Police department four days after her disappearance. She would have recently turned 64. Her son, Ron Noland Jr., spoke at a summit in Bellingham this week. He stated that his mother’s boyfriend reported she left the home at 1 a.m. following an argument and did not return.
National statistics provide context for the local figures. Homicide is the sixth leading cause of death for Indigenous women and girls and the third leading cause for Indigenous men. A federal study found that Native American women are murdered at a rate 10 times higher than the national average. More than four in five Native women report experiencing some form of violence in their lives.
Kenna Miller, a member of the Intertribal Youth Council, described the daily fears felt by young tribal members. She said many are afraid to ride buses or enter large communities due to the threat of rape, kidnapping, or murder. Miller noted that generational trauma from boarding schools has left many parents without knowledge of available resources, forcing youth to advocate for themselves.
Miranda Noland, Ron Noland Jr.’s wife, addressed the systemic issues affecting Native American women. She argued that the community needs to break the cycle of abuse and silence. She questioned why Native women are targeted and emphasized the need for answers for families who have lost loved ones.
Deborah Parker, vice chair of the Tulalip Tribes, recounted her role in amending the Violence Against Women Act in 2012. She discovered that Native women were excluded from the legislation while in Washington, D.C. She delivered a last-minute speech alongside Senators Patty Murray, Barbara Boxer, and Amy Klobuchar. The bill passed with protections for Native women hours before her flight home.
Parker cited recent political victories as evidence of changing tides. She noted the election of Deb Haaland as the first Native American woman to serve as governor of New Mexico and the anticipated election of Mary Peltola as a senator in Alaska. These developments, she said, offer hope to young Indigenous women.
The Washington Attorney General’s office has implemented new tools to assist families. In 2023, the office established the first Cold Case Unit dedicated to missing and murdered Indigenous women and people. The unit includes two tribal liaison positions at the Washington State Patrol to improve communication between tribes, law enforcement, and families. The task force also created a toolkit with checklists to guide families through the search process.
