In the quiet, secluded area of Placitas, New Mexico, 33-year-old Auriana Taylor, who also went by the name Ann Lombard, disappeared on April 29, 1996. She had only recently moved to a residence on Perdiz Canyon Road from Austin, Texas, just a few weeks prior to her vanishing. On the day she was last seen, Auriana was involved in a physical altercation with her live-in boyfriend, James Taylor.
Following the fight, during which he sustained injuries, he claimed that she walked away from their home and never returned. Auriana left behind seven children, four of whom she shared with her boyfriend. At the time of her disappearance, she was reportedly wearing a purple shirt and pink sweatpants.
The circumstances surrounding Auriana's disappearance immediately raised concerns, particularly given the troubled and abusive history of her relationship with James Taylor. Friends and family grew increasingly worried when she made no contact, which was out of character for the mother of seven. A neighbor reported seeing her boyfriend digging a large hole in the front yard the day after she was last seen, though he claimed it was to fix a septic tank. A subsequent police search of the area yielded no evidence. Over the years, James Taylor remained a person of interest in the case, and was involved in other violent incidents, including a threat made to his second wife in 2002 that he would "kill her like he did Ann." Despite ongoing suspicion, a lack of direct evidence prevented any charges from being filed in connection with Auriana's disappearance.
For three decades, Auriana Taylor's case remained a painful mystery for her loved ones. Then, in May 2026, a significant breakthrough occurred when the new owners of her former residence on Perdiz Canyon Road were excavating the property and discovered skeletal remains. The Sandoval County Sheriff's Office was notified, and the remains were sent to the Office of the Medical Investigator for analysis. In July 2026, through DNA comparison with her eldest son, the remains were positively identified as those of Auriana Taylor. Following this discovery, the Sandoval County Sheriff's Office officially closed her 30-year-old missing person case. While her former boyfriend, the prime suspect, had passed away in 2019, the discovery of Auriana's remains finally brought a long-awaited, albeit heartbreaking, conclusion to her family's search for answers.Last Seen: Apr 29, 1996
