The family of Elizabeth Elena Laguna Salgado continues to plead for answers 11 years after the student vanished from Provo, Utah. Laguna Salgado, an aspiring engineer who moved from Mexico to study English, disappeared on April 16, 2015, and her remains were later discovered in Hobble Creek Canyon.
### A Search for Justice
Nearly 11 years after Elizabeth Elena Laguna Salgado went missing, her family remains dedicated to keeping her memory alive while seeking justice for her death. Laguna Salgado arrived in Provo on March 23, 2015, to attend Nomen Global, an English language school, but she disappeared while walking home from school less than four weeks after her arrival. Her sister, Sara, reported that she sent a text message to Elizabeth at 2:30 P.M. on April 16, 2015, stating she loved her and asking what she was doing; it was the last message the family ever received from her.
### Discovery of Remains
After a years-long search, the Utah County Sheriff's Office confirmed on May 24, 2018, that human remains found in Hobble Creek Canyon were those of Laguna Salgado. A man walking through the area, seeking privacy, discovered a human skull, bones, and some fabric near an off-trail area. The medical examiner's office used dental records and other indicators to confirm the identity of the 26-year-old woman. While the discovery ended the search for her person, it transitioned the investigation into a homicide case, as officials stated she could not have made many friends in her short time in Utah and that another person must have been involved.
### Life and Legacy
Laguna Salgado was a graduate of the Tuxtla Gutierrez Institute of Technology with a degree in industrial engineering. Her mother, Libertad Salgado Figueroa, described her as an incredibly faithful and loving daughter who was an example in their home. Laguna Salgado had recently completed a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Pachuca, Mexico, in the state of Hidalgo, before moving to the United States to pursue further education. She had begun attending church at the Provo YSA 140th Ward, though she had not yet officially moved her membership records to that ward at the time of her disappearance.
### Ongoing Investigation
Despite the passage of over a decade, the investigation into the homicide remains open. The Provo Police Department and the Utah County Sheriff's Office have interviewed numerous individuals, yet no suspects have been publicly named or arrested in connection with the case. The Utah County Sheriff's Office, currently led by Sheriff Mike Smith, continues to manage various major crimes and investigations across the county. While the case remains unsolved, the family has offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information that leads to a resolution.
### Community and Law Enforcement
During her brief time in Provo, Laguna Salgado was known for her selfless nature. Mackey Smith, a member of the Provo YSA 140th Ward who served as her unofficial ministering brother, recalled that she was a friendly person who always looked for the good in people. Smith noted that her response to a text message regarding a missed ride was characteristically kind, as she told him she hoped he would feel better soon. Law enforcement officials, including former Provo Police Chief Richard Ferguson, have previously expressed confidence that investigators would eventually find those responsible for her death.
### Seeking Public Assistance
The Laguna Salgado family continues to urge anyone with information regarding the circumstances of Elizabeth's death to come forward. The case remains a high priority for local authorities, and the family hopes that the continued attention on the case will eventually bring the answers they have sought for more than a decade.
