The Disappearance of Ranelle Bennett: A Navajo Family’s Fight for Answers
On June 15, 2021, 33-year-old Ranelle Rose Bennett hugged her mother longer than usual. Later that day, she promised to help decorate for her daughter’s birthday party. But Ranelle never showed up. That evening, her 10-year-old daughter sat by the window, sending texts that went unanswered: “Mom, remember it’s my birthday today.”
It was the last time anyone in her family saw her.
Who Was Ranelle?
Ranelle, known by loved ones as “Tiny,” was a devoted mother of two and a member of the Navajo Nation. She lived in Hogback, New Mexico, a small community on the vast Navajo reservation that spans 27,000 square miles across New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Although her children lived primarily with their grandmother, Rose Yazzie, Ranelle spoke to them every single day. She was reliable, loving, and deeply connected to her family.
Her sudden disappearance shattered those connections and set off a search that continues to this day.
A Broken System From the Start
When Rose reported her daughter missing on June 21, 2021, she expected immediate action. Instead, she discovered the report wasn’t even entered into the system for nearly 10 days. Precious time was lost, and the family’s desperation grew.
This kind of delay is far too common in cases of missing Indigenous people. The Navajo Nation Police Department, with only about 210 officers covering an area the size of West Virginia, faces overwhelming caseloads and chronic resource shortages. Jurisdictional overlap with federal agencies like the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs only adds more red tape and confusion.
For Ranelle’s family, these bureaucratic failures translated into silence, frustration, and unanswered questions.
The Boyfriend and the Crime Spree
At the time she disappeared, Ranelle had recently begun dating a man named Kendale “KJ” Johnson. Within weeks, he became the center of attention in a crime spree of burglaries, car thefts, and violent police chases across the reservation.
KJ was eventually arrested on a federal warrant, but his connection to Ranelle’s disappearance has never been clarified. Investigators interviewed him, and he claimed he saw Ranelle after she was reported missing — but no one else has ever confirmed that account. To this day, he remains a person of interest but not a charged suspect.
A Sweater and Shoes in the Desert
In September 2021, the family made a chilling discovery during one of their own searches: a sweater and shoes belonging to Ranelle were found on a mesa north of Shiprock. Police collected the items, but nothing more has been revealed. Were they left there by Ranelle herself, or by someone who harmed her? No answers have followed.
A Family’s Relentless Search
While the investigation stalled, Ranelle’s family refused to give up. Her brother Jerold returned home to chase down every lead. Her sister Georgiana has become a tireless advocate, even printing water bottles with Ranelle’s photo to hand out in the community.
Rose, her mother, continues to hold onto hope: “I’m just hopeful she’s still here with us. I have faith that she’s still out there.”
Yet, the family is also painfully aware that someone knows what happened. As Georgiana told PBS: “There are kids out here hurting, there are mothers out here hurting. What if it was their children?”
How You Can Help
Ranelle Bennett has been missing for over four years. She deserves to be found, and her family deserves answers. If you have any information, no matter how small, please come forward.
- Navajo Nation Police Department, Shiprock District: (505) 368-1350
- BIA Missing & Murdered Unit Tip Line: 1-833-560-2065
- Anonymous Text Tips: Text “BIAMMU” plus your tip to 847411
Not Forgotten
Ranelle’s case is one of far too many in Indian Country, where systemic neglect and limited resources have left families searching for loved ones on their own. Her story is a reminder that every missing person is more than a statistic — Ranelle is a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a friend.
Until she is found, her family will continue searching, and we must continue saying her name: Ranelle Rose Bennett.
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Resources:
Official / Government & Law Enforcement Sources
Bureau of Indian Affairs. (n.d.). Ranelle Rose Bennett [Case profile]. Indian Affairs. Bureau of Indian Affairs
U.S. Department of the Interior. (2021, April [exact date unspecified]). Secretary Haaland creates new Missing & Murdered Unit [Press release]. U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Indian Affairs. (2025, February 20). BIA launches Operation Spirit Return to help solve Indian Country missing and unidentified person cases [Press release]. Bureau of Indian Affairs Bureau of Indian Affairs
U.S. Department of Justice. (2025, April 1). Justice Department to surge resources to Indian Country to investigate unresolved violent crimes [Press release]. U.S. Dept of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Albuquerque Field Office. (2022, July 25). FBI releases list of Native Americans verified as missing throughout New Mexico and the Navajo Nation [Press release]. fbi.gov
News & Media Articles
Becenti, A. (2021, August 5). Girlfriend of Shiprock alleged auto thief missing. Navajo Times. https://navajotimes.com
Golden, H. (2022, April 11). ‘People are angry’: US families feel let down by Indigenous missing unit. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com
Golden, H. (2025, March 19). Families on the frontline of the Navajo Nation missing people crisis. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com
PBS NewsHour. (2025, June 30). Operation Not Forgotten dedicates FBI agents to cold cases as Native families seek answers. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour
Source New Mexico. (2022, October 24). Families share heartbreak, demand accountability at Missing in New Mexico Day. Source NM. https://sourcenm.com
Durango Herald. (2022, October 24). Families meet FBI at Missing in New Mexico Day. The Durango Herald. https://www.durangoherald.com
Broadcast Media
KOAT 7 News. (2021, July 28). Family desperately searching for missing Ranelle Rose Bennett. KOAT ABC. https://www.koat.com
KOAT 7 News. (2022, May 4). Mother still searching for missing Navajo daughter nearly a year later. KOAT ABC. https://www.koat.com
Case Databases / Advocacy
Charley Project. (n.d.). Ranelle Rose Bennett. The Charley Project. https://charleyproject.org
