CA CA - Sara Mowry, 82, Santa Ana, 13 Jan 2009

Woman disappears, but leaves her walker behind
Investigators say suspicious activity in a woman's financial accounts occurred before she went missing this week.

LAGUNA NIGUEL – Investigators are looking into the mysterious disappearance of an 82-year-old woman, who went missing from her home this week but left behind several personal and vital belongings.

Details surrounding the disappearance of Sara Mowry from her home, an assisted care facility located at 25501 Camino los Padres, do not add up and authorities said they are concerned for her well-being. Investigators have also discovered inconsistencies in her personal financial accounts, making her disappearance highly suspicious, they said.

Mowry, described as an alert and sharp woman who uses a walker, talked to her son Monday, said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Her son tried to contact her Tuesday, but was unable to reach her.

Back in her home, Mowry left behind her walker, hearing aide and medication, Amormino said.

"It's not a case where she got up and walked away," he said.

Mowry cannot walk without assistance, he said. She is also not suffering from any mental illnesses and was described as "very sharp" and aware.

"This is highly suspicious," Amormino said.

While investigating her disappearance, authorities also discovered "inconsistencies" in her financial accounts, transactions that occurred before she went missing, Amormino said. Pending the ongoing investigation, he said he could not go into details.

Investigators are also looking to find a 2002 Toyota Tacoma truck, which is believed to be connected with her disappearance, he said. The truck has a license plate of 6WO1148.

When asked what connection the truck had to Mowry, Amormino said he could not provide details at the time.

Anyone with information is asked to call 866-TIP-OCSD or 866-847-6273.


Truck linked to missing 82-year-old woman found
A truck was found Wednesday night, but the elderly woman has still not been located, authorities say.
The driver, an at-large narcotics parolee, was booked on unrelated charges. Authorities have not identified any suspects or persons of interest in connection with Mowry's disappearance.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/m...earance-amormi

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/authorities-say-mowry-2283070-disappearance-sheriff

From article:

"Authorities will resume searching through a Brea landfill today for an 82-year-old woman who disappeared from a Laguna Niguel assisted-care facility earlier this week."


"On Wednesday, a sheriff's deputy pulled over a silver Toyota Tacoma truck believed to be linked to the disappearance in Santa Ana, which was driven by an acquaintance of Mowry's grandson."

Search continues at Brea landfill in case of missing woman, 82

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,5608469.story

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/mowry-truck-amormino-2287179-authorities-investigators

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

"More than a week after 82-year-old Sara Mowry disappeared from her Laguna Niguel home, leaving behind her walker, medication and purse, authorities said the chances of finding her alive and well are "grim."

After reading about the demise of poor Mary Wilcox, it makes you wonder what happened to Sara Mowry and how many people are in the know or have been in the rumor mill.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/baker-238086-mowrey-amormino.html

Published: March 8, 2010
Updated: 1:29 p.m.
Son of missing woman suspected of real-estate scheme
By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Authorities arrested 57-year-old William Baker last week on suspicion of being behind a home-flipping Ponzi scheme. That scheme, authorities said Monday, came to light as investigators looked into the baffling disappearance of Baker's 82-year-old mother.

Baker reported his mother, Sara Mowrey, missing on Jan. 13, 2009. The search has baffled investigators, said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Click to expand...

http://www.ocregister.com/news/-301425--.html

Published: May 20, 2011
Updated: 4:55 p.m.
BY VIK JOLLY and LARRY WELBORN
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

<snipped>

The investigation that led to Baker's arrest and conviction started after he reported his mother Sara Mowrey missing in January 2009. She has not been found, and an investigation into her disappearance continues, authorities said.

Click to expand...

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/baker-633798-deputies-mowrey.html

The grandson of an 82-year-old woman whose disappearance from her Laguna Niguel home stumped investigators for more than five years was arrested Thursday morning on suspicion of murder, officials said...

Investigators suspect Baker killed her that night, then disposed of her body in a nearby trash bin, Hallock said. Baker was confronted by someone when he was trying to get rid of the body, but that witness didn&#8217;t immediately report the incident to authorities at the time, Hallock said.

Officials allege Baker tried to solicit several people in 2013 &#8211; including three undercover deputies with the Orange County Sheriff&#8217;s Department &#8211; to kill that witness.

Click to expand...

It's taken 6 years but I hope 2015 is the year of justice for Sara.

http://ws.ocsd.org/Whoisinjail/Search.aspx

Results for booking number: 2846351
Inmate Name: BAKER , MICHAEL WESLEY
Date of Birth: 03-26-1982 Next Appearance Date: 01-23-2015
Sex: Male Next Appearance Court: HARBOR JUSTICE CENTER
Race: White Custody Status: In Custody
Height: 5' 07" Bail Amount: $1,000,000.00
Weight: 200 Arrested on: 09-11-2014
Hair Color: Brown Housing Location: Central Mens Jail
Eye Color: Brown
Occupation: STUDENT

KateB said:

It's taken 6 years but I hope 2015 is the year of justice for Sara.

Who's In Jail - Inmate Info

Results for booking number: 2846351
Inmate Name: BAKER , MICHAEL WESLEY
Date of Birth: 03-26-1982 Next Appearance Date: 01-23-2015
Sex: Male Next Appearance Court: HARBOR JUSTICE CENTER
Race: White Custody Status: In Custody
Height: 5' 07" Bail Amount: $1,000,000.00
Weight: 200 Arrested on: 09-11-2014
Hair Color: Brown Housing Location: Central Mens Jail
Eye Color: Brown
Occupation: STUDENT

Click to expand...

I just wanted to leave a sad note about this older case. MOO according to this article from 2018 justice was not served for Sara:

"A man who faced a possible life term in prison if convicted of killing his grandmother, will get out immediately, after three years in jail, as part of a plea deal agreed to Thursday by Orange County prosecutors.

The deal marks at least the eighth high-profile murder or attempted murder case to result in a reduced sentence after allegations that local prosecutors and sheriff’s deputies misused jailhouse informants."

Prosecutors agree to 3-year sentence, not life, after defendant claims illegal use of snitches – Orange County Register

• 

Mowrey, circa 2009

• Missing Since 01/12/2009
• Missing From Laguna Niguel, California
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Date of Birth 12/30/1926 (96)
• Age 82 years old
• Height and Weight 5'0 - 5'4, 128 - 145 pounds
• 
  
• Medical Conditions Mowrey suffers from several medical conditions requiring medication. She needs a wheelchair or walker to get around. She may be in need of immediate medical assistance. Mowrey doesn't have any mental impairments or memory loss.
• 
  
• Associated Vehicle(s) Silver 2002 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck with a camper shell (accounted for)
• 
  
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. White hair, brown eyes. Mowrey has dental implants. She has a scar on her abdomen. Some accounts refer to Mowrey as Sara Powell Mowrey or spell her last name "Mowry." She wears hearing aids.

Details of Disappearance​

Mowrey was last seen at her residence at a senior community in the 25000 block of Camino Los Padres in Laguna Niguel, California at 9:00 p.m. on January 12, 2009. She has never been heard from again. She left almost all her personal belongings behind, including her medication, hearing aids, walker and purse. She took only her wheelchair and keys. Mowrey needed leg supports to use the wheelchair, but those were left behind.

Police stated there were "inconsistencies" in Mowrey's checking account during the week before she went missing. The circumstances of her disappearance led them to suspect foul play and they searched a landfill for her body, but turned up no evidence.

Authorities announced they were searching for a silver 2002 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck with a camper shell, which belongs to Mowrey's grandson. A few days later they found the truck, being driven by an acquaintance of Mowrey's grandson.

The man, who has not been publicly identified, was on parole for narcotics offenses. Police arrested him on unrelated charges, impounded the truck and took it to a crime lab for analysis. The results have not been released.

In September 2014, Michael Wesley Baker was charged with Mowrey's murder, as well as three counts of solicitation to commit murder. He is Mowrey's grandson and was the last person to see her. Authorities believe he murdered her at her home on the night of January 11/12, then disposed of her body in a nearby trash bin.

Baker was allegedly confronted by an acquaintance while dumping the body, but the witness didn't go to police about it for years. Baker allegedly attempted to hire someone to kill this person. He has a prior record for methamphetamine possession, domestic violence and making terroristic threats.

In January 2018, Baker pleaded no contest to reduced charges of solicitation of murder of a witness and being an accessory after the fact to murder. If convicted of the original charges, he could have faced life in prison. Instead he was sentenced to three years in jail and was released immediately, with credit for time served. His plea did not admit guilt, only that the prosecution had enough evidence to convict him on the charges.

The plea deal was reached after Baker accused law enforcement of illegally using two jailhouse informants to threaten him while he was in custody. Baker also claimed two sheriff's deputies had threatened to kill his father if he did not confess his crime. The prosecution stated the plea deal had nothing to do with Baker's allegations, and they only decided on it because the murder case would be difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt.

Mowrey's body has never been found, but foul play was suspected in her case due to the circumstances involved.

Investigating Agency​

• Orange County Sheriff's Department 714-647-7000

Source Information​

• California Attorney General's Office
• Orange County Sheriff's Department
• KABC-Tv
• The Los Angeles Times
• The Orange County Register
• KTLA
• NBC Los Angeles
• MyNewsLA

Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated March 28, 2018; details of disappearance updated.