STAR VALLEY, ARIZONA — Christina Marie Plante, who was reported missing in May 1994 from Star Valley, Arizona, at the age of 13, has been located alive after 32 years. The Gila County Sheriff's Office confirmed that investigators identified Plante and officially resolved her status as a missing person.

Plante was last seen on May 19, 1994, around 12:30 p.m., leaving her home on foot to go to a stable where her horse was kept, according to a statement released by the sheriff's office. She was wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes at the time. Her disappearance was classified as missing and endangered under suspicious circumstances, the statement said.

A search effort involving local law enforcement, volunteers, and regional resources was conducted after Plante's disappearance, the sheriff's office stated. Ground searches, interviews, and investigative follow-up were carried out, but no viable leads were developed during the initial phase of the investigation. Plante was entered into national missing children databases, and missing person flyers were distributed locally, statewide, and across the country, according to the sheriff's office.

The case remained open after the initial investigation concluded. Investigators periodically revisited it over the subsequent years, re-examining existing evidence and pursuing new information as it became available, according to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office created a Cold Case Unit to address unresolved investigations, including Plante's disappearance. Detectives assigned to the unit used advances in technology, modern investigative techniques, and detailed case reviews to develop new leads. Those efforts produced a breakthrough in the case, ultimately resulting in detectives locating Plante alive, the sheriff's office stated.

Investigators confirmed her identity, and her missing person case has been officially resolved, according to the sheriff's office. The office stated that out of respect for Plante's privacy and well-being, additional details about the circumstances surrounding her location and the intervening 32 years would not be released at this time.

The sheriff's office encouraged anyone with information regarding other unresolved cold cases to come forward and contact the department. The news release was issued by Sheriff Adam J. Shepherd.