The Disappearance of Laverda Sorrell

Name: Laverda Sorrell
Age: 44 years old
Last Seen: July 4, 2002
Location: Fort Defiance, Arizona
Status: Still missing

Case Information

44 year old Laverda Sorrell was last seen in Fort Defiance, Arizona on July 4, 2002. She disappeared after being dropped off for work at the Window Rock School District.

Background

Laverda Sorrell was one of 10 siblings, raised on the Navajo Nation reservation in Chinle, Arizona. As an adult she moved an hour away to Navajo, New Mexico. She was married and had three children.

According to family, she was unhappy in her marriage and was planning to leave her husband. She was having an affair with another man and planned to meet him on the night of her disappearance, according to loved ones.

Disappearance

At 11:30 pm on July 4, 2002, Laverda Sorrell was dropped off at the Window Rock School District #8 in Fort Defiance, Arizona where she worked, according to her husband. She hasn’t been seen or heard from since.

On July 8, 2022, she was reported missing to the Navajo Police, Window Rock District, by a family member.

Laverda leaves behind three children.

Investigation

Shortly after her disappearance, Laverda’s purse or wallet was found on a highway in New Mexico, possibly in the direction of Albuquerque, according to her sister. 

Sorrell’s case has been classified as a homicide by the FBI.

Laverda’s father died in 2007, and her mother died in 2012; both without ever knowing what happened to their daughter.

Appearance

Native American female with black hair and brown eyes. Laverda stands 5’1 tall and weighs 110 pounds. She is enrolled with Navajo Nation.

Investigating Agency

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Laverda Sorrell please contact the FBI Albuquerque Field Office at (505) 889-1300. Tips can also be submitted online.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the disappearance of Laverda.

Resources & Further Information

Laverda Sorrell – NamUs
Laverda Sorrell – FBI
Loved Ones Hoping to Get Answers in 2002 Fourth of July Disappearance of Navajo Nation Woman Laverda Sorrell – NBC News
True Crime Arizona Podcast: Where is Laverda Sorrell? – AZFamily
The Disappearance of Laverda Sorrell, Nearly 20 Years Later – KOAT