CA CA - Pamela Kay Masten, 15, Sacramento, 1972

[Mysteries1974]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Name: Pamela Kay Masten

Missing Since: 1972
Location: Sacramento, Sacramento County, California
Born: February 25, 1956
Age: 15-16 years old
Race: Indigenous/Native American
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 4’0” - 7’0”
Weight: 70 - 500 pounds

Details: Pamela was last heard from at some point in 1972. She was living in Sacramento, California at the time. No one has seen or heard from her since. She wasn’t reported missing until April 22nd 2023 when two of her relatives attended a Missing/Murdered Indigenous Persons event in Humboldt County, California and asked for help in locating her.

 

[Leprikawn]

Wow they waited a long time to notify her as missing.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

The photo attached to this post is from the 1972-1973 yearbook for Washington High School in West Sacramento, so I imagine she was at least alive until August or September of 1972. I believe she is of Hoopa descent.

 

[heartanium]

Looks like she was born February 25, 1956 in Humboldt County, California. Her mother was named Lillian Juanita Obie Hickey. She has Yurok indiginous ancestery from her mothers side. Father was named William Martin Masten and he passed away in 2004.

Her mother died on October 8, 2008. She is listed as preceding her mother in death in her obituary.

 

[heartanium]

Looks like she may of had some sort of agreement filed with the Sacramento County in April 1976?

I'm using this website to search records.

 

[TwinkieDefense]

Feb 9, 2026 article

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Asking for the Public’s Help in Missing Person Case

“Masten is believed to have been 16 or 17 years old at the time of her disappearance. She was picking tomato[es] and may have been planning to travel to Alaska.“…

kymkemp.com

[…]. She was picking tomato’s and may have been planning to travel to Alaska. […]

 

[heartanium]

Eureka Times Standard, July 21, 1980, pg 2.

Her half brother Mark Albert Hickey died in July 19, 1980 at the age of 16. His obituary lists her as alive and living in Portland, Oregon at the time of his death?

 

[snooptroop88]

Pamela resembles two Does jmo:
Orlando FL, found 1984, homicide

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=1581uffl

Fremont/Alameda County CA Jane Doe March 1980:

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=1415ufca

Pamela has enough of a resemblance to these Does that I honestly feel she could be either one. I do see a resemblance in both cases. But obviously, Pamela can't be both Does. So she may be neither. Maybe she moved to Alaska and is living off the grid, and none of this has any relevance in terms of Pamela at all. This seems equally possible.

Either way, RIP for these Does.