In the small island community of Sitka, Alaska, the disappearance of 33-year-old Lael Marie Grant in October 2012 left a lasting wound. A mother of two, Lael was last definitively seen in the early morning hours of October 15, 2012. Surveillance footage captured her buying snacks and soft drinks at a local grocery store. Her last contact with her family had been the previous day. At the time of her disappearance, Lael was navigating a period of immense personal difficulty.
She had recently gone through a breakup with her boyfriend and was grieving the death of her father, whose funeral had taken place just two days before she went missing. Those who knew her were aware of her struggles, including her involvement with drugs.
The search for Lael began after she was reported missing. A significant clue surfaced on October 20th when her car was discovered abandoned at the end of Nelson Logging Road, about eight miles outside of Sitka. Inside the vehicle were personal items, including her identification, her favorite headphones, and a receipt from the grocery store where she was last seen. This discovery prompted an extensive two-week search of the rugged, heavily forested area by law enforcement, search and rescue teams, and concerned members of the community. Despite their exhaustive efforts, no trace of Lael was found. The location of her car was puzzling to investigators, as it was not an area she was known to frequent for her solo hikes. The fact that Sitka is on an island, with travel off the island only possible by ferry or plane which require identification, suggested that she likely had not left the area.
As years passed without any answers, the hope of finding Lael alive faded. In June 2015, her family made the difficult decision to have her declared legally dead, a step taken to provide some sense of closure. Following this declaration, law enforcement officially began investigating her disappearance as a potential homicide. The case grew cold but was never forgotten. In April 2021, authorities decided to revisit the case, bringing in fresh eyes and new resources. A two-day grid search was conducted near where her car was found, utilizing 29 searchers and 7 cadaver dogs from various states, though this effort did not yield any new evidence. The investigation into what happened to Lael Grant remains open. Her two sons are being raised by her mother, and the community of Sitka continues to hold out hope that one day they will have answers and justice for Lael.Last Seen: Oct 15, 2012
