Two Missing California Women Found Dead in Vehicle Near Shasta Lake; North Carolina Woman Still Missing Near Death Valley

Two separate missing persons cases in California have drawn significant attention due to the discovery of vehicles associated with the missing individuals. In Inyo County near Death Valley, a white 2009 Chevrolet HHR registered to Kelsey Pittman, 33, was found in February 2025 in a remote area called Slab City. Extensive searches involving deputies, park rangers, drones, and tracking dogs have failed to locate Pittman, who was last in contact with family in November 2024 after a law enforcement encounter in Utah. Meanwhile, in Shasta County, a black 1996 Lexus ES 300 belonging to Dolores Sakamoto, 84, and her daughter Vivian Luna, 64, was found on a logging road near Shasta Lake in March 2025 with two bodies inside, though authorities have yet to confirm their identities. The missing women from Chico were reported in July 2024, and despite extensive searches and a reward offer, they had not been found until the vehicle's discovery. Investigations into the cause and manner of death are ongoing in the Shasta County case, while the search for Pittman continues.