Where is Lauren Cho, the beautiful and talented 30 year old woman missing from the artist commune known as The Whole in Yucca Valley, California?
Key
C or CO = Boyfriend
T or TR = filmmaker who created The Whole, the collective of AirBnBs Lauren cooked a vegan dinner for every night
A little after 5:30pm on Monday, June 28th, 2021, squad cars with loud, echoing sirens drove down a quiet road to arrive on a fittingly serene property in Yucca Valley, California. A man named CO had reported his former girlfriend and current travel partner missing - Lauren Cho. Lauren (referred to as El by her loved ones) had met C through mutual friends at a get-together on Memorial Day and became close right away. C always dreamt of living out west, and Lauren, sick of her job as a highschool teacher, spontaneously decided to join him in his adventure. They joined a sort-of art commune named The Whole, and fit in immediately with the artists and musicians there. This decision somehow, unfortunately, led to her disappearance.
They had driven all the way from New Jersey to live in California in December of 2020, and the couple didn’t waste any time - they became fixtures in the small community they were a part of - Bombay Beach, population 415. Lauren was locally known for turning C's tour bus into a food truck, and she invited people for dinner nearly constantly, winning new friends nightly with the creative recipes she had invented.
Having a food truck was her dream, and cooking was her passion. Cho was as good at making friends as she was at cooking, and a new friend, TR, invited her to work as a chef in Yucca Valley for his collection of Airbnbs called ‘The Whole’. Yucca Valley was an hour and a half from Bombay Beach, and part of the deal was getting to live on the property, so Lauren gladly accepted the offer. C joined her in Yucca Valley.
CO claims he walked into the bus, witnessed an upset Lauren storm out. He decided not to follow her immediately. This was around 5pm. When Lauren hadn’t returned, C claims he searched for Lauren, calling out her name as he wandered the property. “There was a 10-minute window there and she evaporated,” CO said in a phone interview with the Hi-Desert Star on Thursday, July 1.
C called 911 when there was no trace of Lauren anywhere around the property, inside or out. Lauren had been wearing Doc Martens at the time of her disappearance. Doc Martens are a brand of boots with a very distinctive pattern that would be easy to spot in the sand and dirt. When C granted an interview to the local paper (the Hi-Desert Star), he said of the incident, “I searched all the hills and no tracks, anywhere.”
C also mentioned that Lauren had said on Sunday, the day before she disappeared, that she was going out to meet someone and didn’t say who. C did not pry at the time, but says he regrets that now. He is convinced Lauren got into a vehicle with someone, as he believes she would have followed the trails if she did walk into the hills, and thus a sign of her would have been found by now. The police shared similar sentiments, as did the multiple search and rescue teams that combed through the surrounding desert for Lauren all through the month of July.
Multiple friends who called the sheriff’s station frantically said that Lauren had texted them expressing suicidal thoughts and talked about leaving everything behind. Within a couple of days, local residents called to say they saw her with a man at a restaurant in Yucca Valley, but nothing ever came of this lead.
According to the sheriff’s report of CO’s call for help, placed at 5:13 p.m., Cho walked into the hills between Yucca Valley and Morongo Valley. CO tried to find her and then called their circle of friends for help. He told the sheriff’s station she didn’t take her phone, water or food.
Lauren's friend and fellow artist, Jeff Frost, who lived with Cho at The Whole, said that Lauren found value in everyone else except for herself. Despite Lauren’s many talents and achievements - being a Tae Kwan Do champion by the age of 12, and getting the chance to travel Europe as a talented soprano member of a choir as a teenager - she never gave herself value, which was devastating to everyone who knows and loves her. Her family and friends consistently tried to raise the ] 30 year old's self esteem.
To another of Lauren’s friend, RJ Okay, Lauren Cho is a motivated dreamer who is excited about the future - definitely not someone who would willingly leave the life she was beginning to build in California. “We had dinner the night before,” he said. “I thought for sure she’d be back for dinner again that night.”
On July 2, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department officially suspended its search and rescue operation, telling the
Hi-Desert Star on July 6 that Cho's case was classified as a missing person. "At this time, there is a current investigation, there is no particular person of interest, and all avenues of leads are being looked into," Sgt. Stafford of the Morongo Basin Station told the newspaper, adding that they did not expect to resume a search effort unless new leads were developed.
But on July 24th, the search resumed when the department conducted aerial searches of the mountain terrain near where Lauren had been staying. Then on July 31st, officers served a search warrant at the AirBnb where Cho had been living, according to a
press release issued by the department on Aug. 2. They used seven dogs to search the property as well as other nearby areas for evidence.
At the time, the department said in its release that more operations would be conducted as further leads were developed. It was more forthcoming about the reason for the search in a
statement to the Hi-Desert Star.
"We sought a search warrant due to the property owner not being present and multiple people on site living at the location," Sgt. Eric Smoot told the newspaper, noting that it was the second search warrant served on the property. He added that the weather in the area had been hampering search efforts for Lauren.
A very important development occurred on September 21, 2021. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a press release, “Investigators with San Bernardino County Sheriff’s, Specialized Investigations Division are assisting the Morongo Basin Station in the effort to locate Lauren Cho. Investigators are investigating all leads and working with family and friends of Ms. Cho. Future search operations will occur as further leads develop.”
The investigation had previously been led by detectives from the department’s Morongo Basin Station. The Specialized Investigations Division includes the Homicide Detail, Crimes Against Children Detail and the Polygraph Detail, which investigate
major crimes including homicides and suspicious deaths.
"Investigators are investigating all leads and working with family and friends of Ms. Cho. Future search operations will occur as further leads develop," according to the sheriff's department.
Those with information about the search for Cho can contact Detective Edward Hernandez or Sergeant Justin Giles, Specialized Investigations Division, at (909) 387-3589.
Callers wishing to remain ANONYMOUS are urged to call the WeTip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) and/or you may leave information on the WeTip Hotline at
www.wetip.com
About Lauren
Lauren Cho is an Asian female who is 5'4" and 110 pounds; she has black hair and brown eyes.
She was last seen Monday, June 28, 2021 in the Yucca Valley / Morongo Valley area.
Lauren was last seen wearing jean shorts & a yellow top.
Tattoos:
Mushroom: lower leg/ankle
Lamb: shoulder
No Face: inner arm, above elbow
Ten Commandments: thigh
Medusa: thigh
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SOURCES
What happened to Lauren Cho?
Sheriff's Department suspends search for Lauren Cho
Case Of Lauren Cho, Missing Since June, Gets Renewed Attention In Wake Of Gabby Petito’s Disappearance | Oxygen Official Site
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Calif. Authorities Ramp Up Search for Lauren Cho, the N.J. Woman Who Went Missing Near Joshua Tree
Woman missing in Morongo Valley
Search warrant served at vacation rental property where Lauren Cho went missing
Calif. Authorities Ramp Up Search for Lauren Cho, the N.J. Woman Who Went Missing Near Joshua Tree
Lauren Cho Missing: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com
Massive search underway for high desert woman who disappeared last week - KESQ
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