OR OR - Niqola 'Niqi' Cavanaugh-De Calderon, 42, Transgender Female, Rhododendron, 26 Feb 2022

[InvestigatingtheNW]

On February 26th, 2022, Niqi walked away from her mother's home in Zig Zag, Or and hasn't been seen since. She is thought to have been wearing yoga clothes and a backpack. She is a white transgender female with light pink hair, blue-grey eyes, and a dancer's build. Approx. 5'9" and 110-130lbs. Within days, police found her bag with her IDs, credit cards, and personal belongings abandoned at Clackamas Town Center (about 40 miles away from location last seen). She had a recent brain aneurysm diagnosis, so may have experienced a medical emergency while out.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Podcast Interview with one of Niqi's friends:
Transpositive Current Events

 

[InvestigatingtheNW]

 

[azure]

The brain aneurysm is extremely worrisome, however if she was on foot and had a medical episode I would expect her to have been found by now. Her belongings being found 40 miles away also does not suggest a medical emergency.

It would be useful to know locations she frequented on foot and whether she usually carried the backpack. If the backpack was unusual for her, perhaps she planned to be away for multiple days. This would suggest that she was meeting up with someone, but whom?

 

[InvestigatingtheNW]

The brain aneurysm is extremely worrisome, however if she was on foot and had a medical episode I would expect her to have been found by now. Her belongings being found 40 miles away also does not suggest a medical emergency.

It would be useful to know locations she frequented on foot and whether she usually carried the backpack. If the backpack was unusual for her, perhaps she planned to be away for multiple days. This would suggest that she was meeting up with someone, but whom?

<modsnip -no links to an approved source>

The only guess I have for the medical emergency is that, since she was on foot, maybe she started experiencing symptoms and flagged down someone in a car to help her? Maybe they drove her to Portland for assistance? I just did a Google map and there are no hospitals in the Zig Zag / Rhododendron area. There are several in Portland (of course), but there is also Providence Hood River Memorial however it's 20 miles in the opposite direction.

 

[bykerladi]

Am I the only one getting sick of seeing our trans sisters going missing? What on earth is going on?!?!

 

[InvestigatingtheNW]

It would be useful to know locations she frequented on foot and whether she usually carried the backpack. If the backpack was unusual for her, perhaps she planned to be away for multiple days. This would suggest that she was meeting up with someone, but whom?

Per Niqi's own Instagram Page, she was an avid mushroom hunter. One of her friends stated in a podcast that she may have gone mushroom hunting in the woods by Niqi's mother's house. Maybe the backpack was to carry mushrooms? Her husband also said that they have searched the locations that Niqi tended to frequent in those woods.

 

[Gemmie]

Not only is Niqi a beautiful person and soul, she's an extraordinary dancer. I hope this has a happy ending.

Niqi is local-ish to me so there's a discussion going on on Nextdoor. Some locals have seen her dance and posted this vid of her on Vimeo, on Nextdoor, so others could enjoy it. It's not only of her dancing, but her story.

Niqi Cavanaugh is a transgender ballet dancer who has faced many personal challenges, both in her internal struggle to self-identify and as a professional in an artistic medium that has traditionally placed a premium on defined gender roles and body form. Her journey to transcend gender norms and artistic convention is a testimony of self-affirmation, one which she has emerged from with an inspirational embrace for life.

Directed, Edited and Filmed by
Bryan Nelson

Featuring
Niqi Cavanaugh

 

[Gemmie]

She says something I found VERY profound... and that's that "transgender people receive an unfathomable amount of abuse, just for being misunderstood".

Usually I hear the term "for being different" but the essence really is... they are misunderstood by those that torment and don't accept them. I wish more people were tolerant toward the 'misunderstood'. Well, toward everyone, actually. We could use a whole lot more acceptance and love in this world.

All MOO.

 

[annemc2]

Wow. She is extremely articulate and has such a natural talent for ballet. It looks like she's been doing it all of her life! She obviously puts a tremendous amount of work into it and it's inspiring to watch. Thanks for sharing this!

 

[Gemmie]

Oregon State Police missing person info:

Oregon State Police

OSP wants to highlight this missing person case from February 2022 in hopes that it might trigger someone’s memory. Missing Person: Niqola “Niqi” De Calderon Cavanaugh, Female, Caucasian, last seen...

www.facebook.com

She's stunningly beautiful.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Niqi, now missing almost one year...

Missing Person / NamUs #MP89950

 

[Springrain]

I'm new to Niqi's case after she was mentioned in a thread about a homeless, possibly trans, Doe in Seattle. I don't believe she is that Doe, but I was reading about her case and it immediately struck a chord with me, the poor thing.
I heavily suspect that she was murdered given that her possessions were found dumped in Clackamas.

 

[Springrain]

I'm wondering if there has been other cases of trans women either going missing and/or being murdered in the Rhododendron and/or Clackamas areas. With the epidemic of trans women being crime victims one has to worry about this.
However, I can't put my finger on exactly why, but I somehow can't shake the feeling that Niqi may have had a stalker. She was a pretty blonde ballerina, she seemed very articulate and talented, etc. She seemed to be the kind of person that would stand out and that people would take notice of. I can absolutely see some lunatic becoming obsessed with her and likely being enraged when she turned him down. JMO and my speculation only. I'm curious if her husband knew of any creepy men she may have encountered.
I also have to wonder if she may have had a medical episode and somebody took advantage of her vulnerability because of that.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Niqi...

No updates or news articles in over a year

 

[Springrain]

Thanks for bumping, CastlesBurning. I wish we had even a sliver of news or updates about Niqi.
While I do feel a stalker obsessed with Niqi is still very much within the realm of possibility, or some random sick person. I am starting to consider that she may have had a medical episode, and while she was having the issues, someone took advantage of her vulnerable state.
I still would be interested to hear from her husband, not as a suspect but just for additional information and to see what he thinks may have happened to her.

 

[iulia]

Niquola's NamUs page is temporarily down. Her case is affected by the Executive Order targeting transgender/gender variant missing/unidentified persons on NamUs. Her case file cannot be found when searching the database at namus.gov but it is still available here:

Missing Person / NamUs #MP89950

View NamUs missing persons case MP89950, for Niqola A. Cavanaugh-De Calderon, missing from Rhododendron, Oregon. Date of last contact: Feb 26, 2022. NCMEC case number: --.

namus.nij.ojp.gov

 

[Gemmie]

Niquola's NamUs page is temporarily down. Her case is affected by the Executive Order targeting transgender/gender variant missing/unidentified persons on NamUs. Her case file cannot be found when searching the database at namus.gov but it is still available here:

Missing Person / NamUs #MP89950

View NamUs missing persons case MP89950, for Niqola A. Cavanaugh-De Calderon, missing from Rhododendron, Oregon. Date of last contact: Feb 26, 2022. NCMEC case number: --.

namus.nij.ojp.gov

What?? She doesn't matter??? She DOES matter!!!

Thank you for the working link.

 

[iulia]

Niqi's profile is back up on NamUs.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

Missing Person / NamUs #MP89950

View NamUs missing persons case MP89950, for Niqola A. Cavanaugh-De Calderon, missing from Rhododendron, Oregon. Date of last contact: Feb 26, 2022. NCMEC case number: --.

namus.nij.ojp.gov