Zoe E. Penrod, a 39-year-old mother, was last seen on December 31, 2023, in the Myers Flat area of Humboldt County, California. Her disappearance has prompted extensive search efforts and raised concerns due to the circumstances surrounding her vanishing. Penrod is described as a white female, 5'5" tall, weighing about 140 pounds, with red hair and green eyes. She may use the nickname "Rhonda".
Penrod's fiancé, David Boyett, reported her missing on January 1, 2024, after she walked away from their home on Boy Scout Road. In the weeks leading up to her disappearance, Penrod, a new mother to a five-month-old son, had reportedly been acting erratically and was believed to be suffering from postpartum psychosis. This severe mental health condition can cause delusions, paranoia, and disorganized thinking. Her fiancé stated that she had been hospitalized for this condition shortly before she went missing but was released. On the morning she disappeared, Penrod had not slept, was pacing, and engaging in unusual behavior. She left her home while her fiancé was attending to their baby.
A surveillance camera from a business a few hundred feet from her residence captured an image of Penrod walking north on the Avenue of the Giants just before 8:30 a.m. on December 31, 2023. At the time, she was wearing a beige or light-colored bathrobe with an orange item of clothing underneath and green shoes. She had left her wallet and cell phone behind.
The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office has conducted extensive searches in the area, including the woods off Highway 254 utilizing search and rescue teams and requesting a search aircraft. Despite these efforts and some reported sightings in the southern Humboldt County area, there have been no confirmed leads on her whereabouts. As of late 2024, there have been no new officially released clues or developments in the case. Her fiancé has publicly shared his belief that due to her vulnerable state of mind, she may have been easily coerced into a vehicle by someone. The investigation into her disappearance is ongoing.
Last Seen: Dec 31, 2023
