MISSING PERSON
CASE #: 2022-139
Esmerelda Mora
Also Known As:
Kit
Status:
Open
Date of Last Contact:
Date of Last Contact:
Jurisdiction:
Missing From:
Omak, WA
Summary:
Esmerelda "Kit" Mora, a non-binary descendant of the Penticton Indian Band, was living in Omak when they disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Kit disappeared, with the official missing date as April 15, 2022, though friends and family haven't seen or heard from them since November 2021. Mora is still missing.
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Disappearance:
Before disappearance, Mora had been living with paternal grandparents in Yakima. In summer of 2021, Mora traveled to Omak to stay with biological mother and younger siblings. Friends and family said Mora initially planned to return to Yakima for school start but instead remained in Omak and enrolled there. For several months, Mora stayed in contact with friends and family in Yakima. By winter of 2021, those communications began to decrease and eventually stopped altogether. Omak High School unenrolled Esmerelda after she stopped showing up to school in January 2022. Mora didn't return to Omak High School after Christmas break in 2021. Though Mora's missing date is in state and national databases as April 15, 2022, friends and family in the Yakima Valley haven't seen or heard from Mora since November 2021. In September 2022, detectives conducted a wellness check after Mora's family and friends in Yakima became concerned. Mora's mother reportedly told investigators that Mora had left earlier that month and that she believed the teen had returned to Yakima in April.
Additional Details:
Esmerelda was born in Spokane, WA, on April 22, 2005, to Lorie Sue Nelson. After multiple removals and returns Esmerelda and her two older siblings were permanently removed from their mother's care when Esmerelda was just 4 years old. She was placed with her great grandparents in Yakima, WA, and separated from her siblings. Due to the trauma Esmerelda experienced and the loss of her siblings, she experienced post-traumatic stress disorder and wrestled for many years to heal and find normalcy. Esmerelda identifies as a non-binary person and goes by the name Kit; although their legal name is Esmerelda Nelson-Mora, most agencies refer to them as Kit Mora and they use they/them pronouns. The Omak Police Department and the Attorney General's MMIWP Cold Case Unit are investigating the case. The department has been collaborating with the Colville Tribal Police Department and the FBI. In the first two months after Mora was reported missing in September 2022, law enforcement efforts and progress in Mora's case were nonexistent. Local PD took the missing report but they didn't take the family seriously until they were on their doorstep, literally and figuratively, looking for answers themselves. In August 2024, the Washington State Patrol Forensic Crime Lab conducted a search warrant at an Omak residence. When the crime lab has more information about the case that can be released, they will update the community. Kit's biological father put up a $10,000 reward for information about Kit's location or those responsible for Kit's disappearance. The last time Amythist saw Kit in person was for their 16th birthday, which was on April 22, 2021. A few days after that birthday reunion, Kit got horrible news: one of their brothers died on April 29, 2021.
Case Last Updated:
Timeline of Events
The Washington State Patrol Forensic Crime Lab conducted a search warrant at an Omak residence.
Teen Esmerelda "Kit" Mora was reported missing from Omak, Washington in September 2022. Detectives conducted a wellness check after Mora's family and friends in Yakima became concerned.
Date of last contact: Apr 15, 2022.
Omak High School unenrolled Esmerelda after she stopped showing up to school.
By winter of 2021, communications with friends and family began to decrease and eventually stopped altogether. November 2021 was the last time Kit's loved ones heard from them, and also the last time they were active on social media.
Esmerelda moved from Yakima to Omak with biological mother Lorie Sue Nelson and her boyfriend Kenneth Diaz.
Associated Persons
Charlotte R. (Sibling) - Living
Kenneth D. (Mother's boyfriend) - Living
Lorie Sue N. (Mother) - Living
Amythist M. (Friend) - Living
Family Tree
Why is this important?Missing person
Father
Mother
Paternal Grandfather
Paternal Grandmother
Maternal Grandfather
Maternal Grandmother
Paternal Grandfather's Mother
Paternal Grandfather's Father
Paternal Grandmother's Mother
Paternal Grandmother's Father
Maternal Grandfather's Mother
Maternal Grandfather's Father
Maternal Grandmother's Mother
Maternal Grandmother's Father
Paternal Grandfather's Mother
Paternal Grandfather's Father
Paternal Grandmother's Mother
Paternal Grandmother's Father
Maternal Grandfather's Mother
Maternal Grandfather's Father
Maternal Grandmother's Mother
Maternal Grandmother's Father
Paternal Grandfather
Paternal Grandmother
Maternal Grandfather
Maternal Grandmother
Father
Mother
Missing Person
Missing Person
Case Content Disclaimer: The details on this case page are sourced from numerous locations to include family, friends, news postings and government public releases. Solve the Case, Inc. does not guarantee the accuracy of any content as case pages are living documents that frequently update as case details expand.
