On the early morning of April 6, 1986, nine-year-old Anthonette Christine Cayedito disappeared without a trace from the modest home she shared with her mother and younger sisters in Gallup, New Mexico. It was a quiet Sunday morning when her mother awoke to find her daughter gone, the front door unlocked, and no clear sign of where she had gone or who might have taken her. There were no loud noises in the night, no broken windows, no forced entry—only silence, confusion, and a growing sense of dread.
Anthonette was a bright, caring, and responsible child—someone who never wandered off and always helped take care of her siblings. Her sudden disappearance shattered the sense of safety in the small community and launched an intense, multi-agency investigation that would span decades. Yet despite years of searching, public appeals, and a handful of haunting clues, Anthonette’s whereabouts remain unknown. Nearly forty years later, her case is still unsolved, and her family continues to live with the aching void of uncertainty, holding on to the hope that one day the truth will come to light.
A Promising Life Cut Short
Born on Christmas Day in 1976, Anthonette Christine Cayedito came into the world as a gift to her family—full of light, promise, and warmth. She was the daughter of Penny Cayedito, a devoted Navajo mother, and Anthony Montoya, an Italian-American father. Though her parents later separated, Anthonette remained surrounded by love, especially from her mother and siblings. From a young age, she stood out for her gentle spirit and remarkable maturity. While other children her age were still focused on play, Anthonette was already stepping into a caretaker’s role, often helping her mother look after her younger sisters, Wendy and Sadie.
She had a calm, steady presence and was known in her community as intelligent, dependable, and wise beyond her years. Teachers described her as attentive and responsible. Family members said she had a warm heart, a sharp mind, and a deep sense of responsibility that made her seem older than nine. Despite her age, Anthonette was the kind of child who could be counted on—a trait not often seen so clearly in someone so young.
She loved to sing, was proud of her Navajo heritage, and dreamed of doing big things when she grew up. Friends and relatives recall her kindness and the way she instinctively looked after others—especially her younger sisters, whom she protected fiercely. Her life, full of promise and purpose, was cruelly cut short not by death—but by silence, mystery, and the lingering pain of the unknown.
The Night She Disappeared
The evening of April 5, 1986, began like many others in the Cayedito household. Penny Cayedito, a hardworking single mother doing her best to provide for her daughters, decided to go out for a few hours with some friends. She left nine-year-old Anthonette and her younger sisters in the care of a trusted babysitter, confident that her responsible eldest daughter would help keep things calm until she returned.
Around midnight, Penny came home. Everything seemed quiet and undisturbed. She thanked the babysitter, sent her home for the night, and briefly peeked in on her girls. Anthonette and her sisters were sleeping peacefully in the front room, just steps away from the front door. Believing all was well, Penny turned in for the night, unaware that her life—and the lives of everyone in that household—were about to change forever.
When she awoke the next morning, Penny was met with a terrifying realization: Anthonette was gone. Her bed was empty. There was no note, no sound had been heard in the night, and no sign of where she might have gone. At first, Penny thought her daughter may have simply gone outside or wandered off to a neighbor’s house. But as the minutes turned to hours and there was still no sign of Anthonette, panic set in.
There were no signs of forced entry—no broken windows, no open doors, no overturned furniture. The house was just as it had been the night before. The mystery deepened further when Anthonette’s younger sister, Sadie, bravely shared a chilling memory: in the early hours of the morning, there had been a knock at the front door. A man’s voice called out, identifying himself as “Uncle Joe”—a name familiar to the girls. Anthonette reportedly got up to open the door, and that was the last time anyone saw or heard from her.
In the days that followed, investigators canvassed the neighborhood and questioned friends and family. A neighbor came forward with a possible lead—they had seen an older model brown pickup truck parked near the Cayedito home around the time of the disappearance. It had New Mexico plates, but no one could recall the full license number or offer a clear description of the driver. Despite this tip, the lead quickly went cold, like so many others that would come in the years ahead.
A Haunting Phone Call
Nearly a year after Anthonette vanished, just as hope had begun to fade and tips were growing scarce, a chilling call breathed new life—and dread—into the case.
One afternoon in 1987, the Gallup Police Department’s phone rang. On the other end was a girl’s voice, trembling and rushed. “My name is Anthonette Cayedito,” she said. “I’m in Albuquerque.” Before the dispatcher could respond or ask any questions, a deep male voice suddenly cut in: “Who said you could use the phone?” The sound of a scuffle followed—shuffling feet, panic—and then a high-pitched scream. The line went dead.
It lasted just a few seconds. But those seconds were unforgettable.
The dispatcher, stunned by what they had just heard, immediately reported the incident. The call had come and gone too fast to be traced—a devastating setback. Authorities attempted to analyze the audio for clues, but no identity could be confirmed from the voices alone.
When Penny Cayedito was brought in to listen to the recording, her reaction was immediate and visceral. She broke down in tears. “That was her,” she insisted. “That was my baby.” The fear in the girl’s voice, the way she said her name—it was something only a mother could recognize. Despite the emotional weight of the moment, law enforcement couldn’t verify whether the call was genuine or an elaborate hoax. Still, Penny never doubted for a second that it was Anthonette, alive and calling out for help.
The call remains one of the most disturbing elements of the case. It raised terrifying questions: Was Anthonette still alive? Had she been trafficked or held captive for months in Albuquerque or beyond? Who was the man in the background—her abductor, a buyer, someone she knew? And if she had managed to reach a phone once, could she do it again?
Sadly, she never did.
That brief, frantic call became one of the last possible signs of life in Anthonette’s case. It offered both hope and horror—hope that she might still be out there, and horror at the possibility that she was living through something unspeakable.
About four years after Anthonette's disappearance, a waitress in Carson City, Nevada reported a chilling encounter. She noticed a girl who appeared to be around 13 years old sitting with a disheveled couple. The girl repeatedly dropped her fork and, when the waitress picked it up, she would squeeze the waitress's hand—as if trying to communicate something. After the group left, a note was discovered under the girl’s plate that said, “Help me! Call police.” While the sighting was never confirmed to be Anthonette, it added a haunting layer to the case. At the time she vanished, Anthonette was a fourth-grader at Lincoln Elementary School and was known for being mature and responsible. Authorities believe that foul play was involved in her disappearance and fear that she may no longer be alive.
The Ongoing Investigation
Decades have passed since Anthonette Christine Cayedito vanished from her home in Gallup, New Mexico, yet the search for answers has never wavered. Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Gallup Police Department remain deeply committed to uncovering the truth behind her disappearance. These agencies continue to actively investigate the case, reviewing leads, re-interviewing witnesses, and applying modern forensic techniques in the hope of finally bringing justice to Anthonette and her family.
Time has done little to diminish the urgency surrounding this case. Law enforcement officials frequently remind the public that even the smallest detail—no matter how insignificant it may seem—could hold the key to unlocking new information. Advances in technology, combined with renewed public interest, provide fresh opportunities to revisit cold leads and pursue new ones.
Authorities urge anyone who may have knowledge about Anthonette’s disappearance to come forward without hesitation. Whether you lived in the area at the time, heard rumors, saw something unusual, or possess any piece of information, your voice could make all the difference.
If you have any information—no matter how small or seemingly unrelated—please contact the following:
FBI Albuquerque Field Office: (505) 889-1300
Gallup Police Department: (505) 863-9365
FBI Tip Line: tips.fbi.gov
Tips can be submitted anonymously, and all leads are treated with the utmost confidentiality. Your courage to speak up could finally help close a painful chapter that has haunted Anthonette’s family and the community for nearly four decades.
Thank you for reading Echoes of The Unsolved. If you want to stay updated on more true crime stories and ongoing investigations, be sure to subscribe to my blog. I’d also love to hear your thoughts on the Anthonette Cayedito case—feel free to share your opinions or any insights in the comments below. Until next time, stay safe.
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