Ida Beard Missing Person Case

Sep 25, 2015

Apr 26, 2024

Ida

Beard

40

29

65 inches

66 inches

130 lbs

150 lbs

American Indian / Alaska Native

Female

On a summer evening in El Reno, Oklahoma, June 30, 2015, 29-year-old Ida Joanne Beard, a mother of four, told her mother she was going to a friend's house nearby. She was last seen walking home but never arrived. A member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, Ida was a devoted mother and a caretaker for her mother, who is blind. Described as a "hometown girl" who stayed close to her family, her sudden disappearance was entirely out of character. She was a familiar and friendly face in her community, known for her love of volunteering, teaching Sunday School, and for always wearing her brown hair in a French braid. The initial response to Ida's disappearance was fraught with delays that her family feels were critical. It took two weeks before a missing persons report was officially filed by the police. This delay in the investigation is a painful point for her loved ones and a poignant example of the systemic issues faced by Indigenous families in similar situations. The case received little media attention at the time, further compounding the family's anguish. For years, there was little to no progress, leaving her four children without their mother and a community searching for answers. Ida's case, while a personal tragedy, has had a lasting impact on the state of Oklahoma and the broader issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). Her disappearance was the catalyst for "Ida's Law," which was signed into law in Oklahoma in April 2021. This legislation aims to create an Office of Liaison for missing and murdered Indigenous people to improve communication and coordination between tribal, state, and federal agencies. The law stands as a testament to the tireless advocacy of Ida's family and community, who have fought to bring awareness to her case and the larger crisis it represents. While the search for Ida continues, her story has become a symbol of the fight for justice and a call for systemic change to protect Indigenous women.

Jun 30, 2015

El Reno

Oklahoma

Canadian County

73036

Yes

17246

El Reno Police Department

El Reno

Oklahoma

Canadian County

73036

Todd Ward

Detective

116 North Evans Avenue, Oklahoma

4052626941

Local

Law Enforcement

http://www.cityofelreno.com/city-services/police-department/

2015-1474

El Reno Police Department

Brown

Brown

Brown

07/14/2026