Dawn Elaine Sanchez, aged 32, was last seen on August 30, 1991, in Los Altos, California. She lived at the Four Seasons Motor Lodge and was involved in prostitution at the time. Sanchez was last seen leaving the motel with her boyfriend, Bernardo Bass, in his 1979 Pontiac Grand Prix. Witnesses later claimed to have seen Bass and Sanchez arguing near a vacant lot in Sunnyvale, where a gunshot was heard before Bass sped away. Sanchez was never seen again, and her disappearance was not reported until October of that year.
Bass, described as a controlling and jealous boyfriend, was arrested and charged with Sanchez’s murder, but due to a lack of evidence and the refusal of a key witness to testify, the charges were initially dropped. In 2007, the case was reopened, and Bass was again arrested. He eventually pled no contest to involuntary manslaughter in 2009 and was sentenced to six years in prison. Sanchez’s body was never found, and foul play is strongly suspected due to the violent circumstances surrounding her disappearance. Her case remains unsolved.
Last Seen: Aug 30, 1991
