Josephine Vargas, a 34-year-old woman from Santa Ana, California, was last seen on October 23, 2013. She disappeared after leaving her sister's birthday party, telling her family she was walking to a nearby store. Initially, her family believed she was with her husband, and her husband thought she was with family, which delayed the reporting of her disappearance until October 27.
Josephine was one of several women who disappeared in the same area of Santa Ana, a region known for drug and prostitution activity. Investigators later linked her case to that of two other missing women, Kianna Jackson and Martha Anaya, as well as a fourth victim, Jarrae Estepp, whose body was found in a recycling plant in Anaheim.
In 2014, registered sex offenders Franc Cano and Steven Dean Gordon were arrested and charged with the abductions and murders of these women. Both men were wearing GPS ankle monitors at the time, and during his trial, Gordon admitted guilt and revealed the victims' bodies were discarded in dumpsters. Gordon was sentenced to death, but Cano has yet to be tried.
Josephine left behind three children, and her family stated that it was uncharacteristic of her to abandon them. Foul play is strongly suspected in her case due to the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and the connections to other victims.
Last Seen: Oct 27, 2013
