The Disappearance of Leona Sharon Kinsey
In October 1999, Leona Sharon Kinsey vanished from La Grande, Oregon, leaving behind a mystery colder than last week’s leftovers. Leona, a member of the Puyallup Tribe, was 45 years old when she disappeared from her Hall Street home.
Leona’s life seemed as normal as anyone’s: a home with her beloved pets (because no sane person abandons their cat and two dogs without reason), a coffeepot still full, and groceries left to rot. When she didn’t show up at a friend’s home on October 25th as scheduled, people started to worry. When she missed jobs at her landscaping company in the days that followed, that was an even bigger cause for concern because Leona loved her work. That’s when her daughter reported her missing.
Two days after that report, her golden-brown GMC Jimmy popped up in an Albertson’s parking lot on October 29, 1999. The manager of the chain grocery store confirmed the car had not been there the night before; the parking lot had been empty. The steering column was trashed, and—wait for it—there was a box of rubber gloves behind the seat.
As if the case wasn’t shady enough, enter Juan “John” Pena-Llamas, the prime suspect in Leona’s disappearance. The two were reportedly set to meet the night she vanished. Pena-Llamas is the type of guy your gut tells you to avoid: convictions for assault, rape, and sodomy, and possible ties to a drug cartel. He was deported to Mexico in 2006, which was unrelated to Leona’s disappearance, and any solid leads seemed to disappear with him.
Leona’s daughter, Carolyn DeFord, hasn’t stopped looking for answers. Her voice has become a rallying cry for justice, not just for her mom but for the countless other missing Indigenous women. The case remains open with few details and even fewer leads, a stark reminder that far too many stories like Leona’s slip into silence. If you know anything—and I mean anything—call the La Grande Police Department at 541-963-1017.
This story will be paired with a video of a basic bitch yeast bread loaf on the TT and the YT. It’s definitely not my best bread, but it did hit the spot.