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About Anthonette

Anthonette Christine Cayedito was born on December 25, 1976, to her mother, Penny Cayedito, as the oldest of three girls. Penny, a Navajo Native American. Anthonette did not live with her biological father, and his identity has never been confirmed, but many believe that it was a man named Larry Estrada. Penny raised the three girls on her own as a single mom. From outward appearances, the four of them shared a close bond. Even though they had their own beds, they preferred to sleep in the same bed together.

The family lived in an apartment in Gallup, New Mexico, near the border of the Navajo reservation. Roughly half of the population identifies as Native American, and the area is known for high crime rates.

By the time of her disappearance, she was the oldest of three girls, with a seven-year-old sister (Senida “Sadie”) and a five-year-old sister (Wendy). She was a fourth-grade student at Lincoln Elementary School, and her loved ones described her as bright, mature, responsible, and level-headed.

By the time she was six years old, she was cooking for her younger sisters. Her younger sister Wendy later recounted how Anthonette would cook, clean, iron, and care for her sisters as though she was their mother. Even when there was a babysitter, she would help them care for her sisters.

While few details have been released about her personality and life before her disappearance, we know she had the nickname “squirrel,” and her favorite color was purple. Many of her loved ones have described her as having a big, caring heart.

Reportedly, Penny frequently spent nights at bars and left Anthonette home to watch her sisters, with or without the help of a babysitter. While she was known to drink, her level of involvement with drugs remains unknown. However, it’s been confirmed that Larry Estrada was involved with drugs and was possibly dealing at the time of Anthonette’s disappearance.

Disappearance

On the evening of Saturday, April 5, 1986, Penny went out to a local bar with friends, leaving all three girls in the care of a babysitter. To this day, this babysitter has never been identified, and it’s unknown if this was a regular babysitter.

According to her statement to police, Penny arrived home at midnight on Sunday, April 6, at which point she dismissed the babysitter. After that, she allowed all three girls to stay up late and spent three hours talking to Anthonette. Sadie and Wendy began to fade, and it’s believed they fell asleep between midnight and 3:00 AM.

Around 3:00 AM, there was a knock at their door.  There’s been some confusion over who was awake at the time. Early on, it was believed that Anthonette (or Anthonette and Penny) was still awake. In later interviews, however, it’s been suggested that Sadie was also awake to hear this first knock. Regardless, no one answered this door because they didn’t recognize who it was.

Sources differ about what happened after the first knock. Some state that both girls (as well as Penny) were asleep by then. Others state that Anthonette was still awake. What we know for sure is that there would be a second knock between 3:30 AM and 7:00 AM.

At the time, the authorities were told that there was a second knock at the door, a male voice called out, and Anthonette went to the door to check. More details would emerge about the second knock years later.

Around 7:00 AM, Penny woke up and found Sadie and Wendy in bed with her, but Anthonette was not there. Penny then searched the apartment, thinking that Anthonette had started on the chores or cooking, but she couldn’t find her in the apartment. Her absence was considered unusual because, on Sundays, the girls had Bible school. Anthonette was passionate about her faith and often looked forward to attending.

Thinking that her daughter had left to visit a neighbor, Penny knocked door-to-door to search for her. When it was clear that no one had seen Anthonette and she was nowhere to be found, Penny decided to contact the authorities and report her daughter as missing.

Investigation

Even though Penny promptly contacted the authorities, it’s unclear when the police accepted the missing persons report. Some sources state that the authorities made her wait 8 hours or 24 hours before they would accept her report.

Regardless, the official search didn’t begin until Monday, April 7th. It involved Gallup PD, the New Mexico State Police, local volunteers, search-and-rescue teams, and other agencies. This search, which lasted through Wednesday, April 9th, started at the Cayedito home and expanded to include all of Gallup.

The search was then called off due to a lack of evidence and leads. However, a neighbor came forward to say that he saw something unusual that morning. He claimed to see an old, brown truck with New Mexico license plates in front of the Cayedito home between 6:30 and 7:00 AM on Sunday, April 6th. An unknown man was driving it, and he approached the home. Another neighbor would corroborate the same story, stating that it was normal for the Cayeditos to have visitors at all hours. As of this writing, the man and his truck have remained unidentified.

While the authorities looked for Anthonette, they also interviewed Penny, Sadie, and Wendy. One of the children reportedly heard the knocks, but Penny claimed she didn’t hear them. She also believed Anthonette wouldn’t have opened the door to a stranger.

Because of the lack of forced entry, the authorities believed Anthonette knew her abductor and went along with them willingly. Because of this, her case was quickly categorized as a kidnapping. To this day, the motive for her abduction has been debated, as no ransom demands were sent.

The authorities had very little to go on. Initial and follow-up interviews and searches failed to turn up any credible leads. Crime stoppers even offered a $500 reward, but it still failed to turn up new leads.

With no evidence or signs of Anthonette, the case grew cold. Years would pass before the next lead surfaced.

Later Developments

Over time, the relationship between Penny, Larry, and the Gallup PD eroded. Penny and Larry accused the Gallup PD of not doing enough to bring Anthonette home, but the Gallup PD argued that they were doing their best, given how little information was available.

About a year after Anthonette disappeared, the Gallup PD received a disturbing phone call. In it, a young girl claimed that she was Anthonette Cayedito, and she was in Albuquerque. There was a second, loud voice that exclaimed, “Who said you could use the phone?!” After that, there was a scuffle, and the original girl cried and screamed. The call only lasted about 40 seconds, and the authorities couldn’t trace it.

Although there’s been debate about whether the second voice is a man or a woman, the authorities believe it was a man. When Penny listened to the call, she believed it was her daughter. Even though this call generated new leads, all of them were dead ends. It remains unknown if the girl in the call was Anthonette. 

In 1991, the FBI released the first age-progressed photos of Anthonette. These images also helped generate new leads, including a witness sighting. A waitress in Carson City, Nevada, had a group of customers come to her restaurant, one of whom bore a striking resemblance to Anthonette’s age-progressed photo.  She was with an unknown couple described as “unkempt.” All three were seated together.

As the trio ate, the young woman dropped her fork and other pieces of silverware, which the waitress would pick up and put back on the table. During one of these times, the young woman grabbed the waitress’s hand and squeezed it firmly.

After the trio left, the waitress lifted the young woman’s plate and found a note written on a napkin that read:

Help me. Call the police.

Unfortunately, by the time the waitress put two and two together, the trio was long gone. The authorities investigated the sighting, but they never found the group, and to this day, it remains unknown if the young woman was Anthonette.

That same year, the authorities decided to re-interview Wendy, then ten years old, to see if they could uncover more information about that night. Shortly before her sister’s disappearance, she stated she heard a second knock that night, but went back to sleep. But when she was re-interviewed five years later, she shared new details.

According to her new account, after the second knock, she got out of bed and followed Anthonette to the front door. Anthonette called out, asking who it was. A male voice responded that it was “Uncle Joe.” She then opened the door, and the man grabbed her. She struggled and fought against her abductor, but he overpowered her, threw her into a brown van, and drove off. Unfortunately, she could not remember what the men looked like.

Despite some vagueness in Wendy’s story, the authorities viewed it as credible, as it helped fill in some blanks. Coincidentally, Anthonette did have an uncle named Joe, so the authorities interviewed him. They determined that he was not involved and ruled him out. The story also reinforced the idea that the abductor was known to the family, as he successfully used the name “Uncle Joe” to get the door opened.

Image Courtesy of the Albuquerque Journal via Newspapers.com

Around the same time, Penny turned to a Navajo medicine woman who performed a ritual to contact the spirit of the missing Anthonette. According to the medicine woman, Anthonette was still alive and being held against her will, and she possibly had a child. The medicine woman also believed that she was being held in the southwest, far from any city.

Many of these details matched those in the authorities’ investigation. Unfortunately, these details were not enough to locate Anthonette.

Throughout the years, there have been countless sightings across the United States and Canada. Even though investigators followed up on them, none are confirmed to be Anthonette.

Penny died in 1999, never learning what happened to her eldest daughter. The disappearance took its toll on her, as she developed both drug and alcohol problems in the following years.

In 2006, the FBI closed the case, citing a lack of evidence. However, the Gallup PD has kept her case open to this day, illustrating their hope that one day, Anthonette will come home.

My Thoughts

The disappearance of Anthonette Cayedito is tragic, haunting, and frustrating. A young girl gets up in the middle of the night to answer the front door, only to be gone once her mother and sisters wake up. Despite the efforts of investigators and loved ones, they’ve never been able to find her. There’s been so little evidence over the years that the authorities have never named a person of interest, never mind made an arrest. It’s left everyone wondering, “Where is Anthonette Cayedito?”

What makes this case so frustrating is the inconsistencies. Very few details have been set in stone. All we know is that Anthonette answered the door at some point in the early morning on April 6th, 1986, and she’s never been seen since. We don’t know when this happened, the kidnapper has never been identified, and even the second knock is up for debate. For many, solving this case is like trying to put a puzzle together with half the pieces missing.

Despite the lack of definitive information, many agree that Anthonette was kidnapped. Although the suspect and motive remain unknown, four theories have surfaced:

1. Anthonette was abducted by a stranger.
2. Anthonette was abducted by someone she knew.
3. Anthonette was murdered soon after she was abducted.
4. Anthonette was kidnapped and kept alive.

Let’s address these one by one.

For starters, we have the theory that Anthonette was abducted by a stranger. On the surface, it sounds plausible. It would explain why the authorities haven’t named a person of interest or a suspect in her case, as well as why there’s been so little evidence. The only problem is that her loved ones have stated that she would not have opened the door for a stranger.

I have a hard time believing she would’ve opened the door for a stranger. When I was 15, I had a similar situation happen where someone knocked on our door at 2:00 AM. I was so scared that I was frozen in bed for several minutes. After that, my first instinct was to wake my parents and get their help, not answer the door. Thankfully nothing happened, but think about it for a second. If a 15-year-old is unwilling to open the door to a stranger in the middle of the night, why would a 9-year-old do it? Especially one like Anthonette? She’s always been described as a mature, responsible girl with a good head on her shoulders. Opening the door voluntarily seems inconsistent with her normal behavior.

With all of this in mind, I believe we can safely set aside this theory.

The second theory is that Anthonette was abducted by someone she knew. Many believe that it had to have been someone Anthonette knew, myself included. This would explain why her abductor claimed to be “Uncle Joe.” If Anthonette knew her abductor, it raises the possibility that this was pre-meditated because they would likely know her schedule and when to strike.

The only problem is that no one has ever been named a person of interest, never mind a suspect. The authorities interviewed family and friends and investigated every lead since she disappeared, and very little has surfaced. If there was something to find, you would think the authorities would’ve found it by now. But then again, it’s always possible that the suspect died or fled the country soon after her abduction. That would explain why this person has never surfaced.

The frustrating part is that there’s so little information that it’s impossible to say for sure. Frankly, you could go in circles. Because of this, we can’t rule this theory in or out until we get more information.

Our last two theories cover what happened after Anthonette was abducted. Was she murdered soon after? Or was she kept alive for days, months, or years after?

If we look at the statistics, Anthonette most likely died soon after her abduction. According to a study conducted by Christine O. Gregoire, Attorney General of Washington, and the U.S. Department of Justice, over 75% of children studied were dead within three hours after being abducted. That number increases to 91% after 24 hours. If we look strictly at these statistics, she likely died soon after being taken.

That said, there have been sightings of her across the U.S. and Canada since she disappeared. At least some were likely false sightings, but I believe at least two were credible: the phone call to the Gallup PD and the restaurant sighting.

I’ve listened to the phone call several times and think it’s legitimate. This is because of Penny Cayedito’s confirmation of its legitimacy and the way the girl screamed. Her screams were haunting, and the way the second voice shouted at her had me scared for her safety. Many have argued that this phone call was fake because the call came to the Albuquerque Police Department instead of 911. However, by 1987, only about 50% of the U.S. had a 911 system. Poorer areas are often slower to adopt new systems due to a lack of money and infrastructure. Case in point, as of 2024, New Mexico has a poverty rate of about 25%, and it consistently ranks among the poorest states in the U.S. If there wasn’t a 911 system in place, Anthonette would’ve had to call the Gallup Police Department directly.

In addition, Penny listened to the recording and stated the following to the Albuquerque Journal:

It was her voice…I would know my baby’s voice anywhere.

As her mother, Penny knew Anthonette the best, and she knew what her voice sounded like in person and on the phone. If she says it was her daughter, then I believe her.

The sighting at the restaurant is also interesting. According to the waitress, a young woman similar to Anthonette’s age-progressed photo entered the restaurant with an “unkempt” couple. Unfortunately, they were long gone by the time the waitress submitted the tip. I’m inclined to believe this tip because of how closely this young woman matched the age-progressed photo. Even if it wasn’t Anthonette, I still can’t say it was a prank. This young woman seemed to act like she needed help but couldn’t say so.

I wish we had more information about what this couple looked like. Maybe if composite sketches were shared of the couple and the girl, it would generate new leads.

With all of this in mind, it leads me to believe that Anthonette was alive after she was taken, at least for a few years afterward. Because of the lack of sightings in recent years, she might either be dead or outside the U.S.

Beyond that, we have no solid information about a motive in her case. We can’t even name a person of interest, let alone speculate on a motive. Until we get more information, the case will grow colder, and her loved ones will continue to ask, “What happened to Anthonette Cayedito?”

Anthonette Cayedito was nine years old when she disappeared from her Gallup, New Mexico home on April 6th, 1986. She was a bright, sweet, responsible girl who loved her family and friends. For over 35 years, her fate has remained unknown, and her disappearance has left a void in the hearts of her loved ones and her community.

Someone out there knows what happened to this little girl. If it’s you, do the right thing. Call the authorities, tell them everything you know, and end the pain and anguish. Anthonette deserves to come home, even if it’s just to receive a proper burial. She deserves justice. May she receive it soon.

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If you’re looking for more information about the disappearance of Anthonette Cayedito, there are several news articles, podcasts, and YouTube videos. The following sources helped me as I wrote this post:

• The Charley Project
• The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• Trace Evidence Podcast
• NBC News
• The Crime Wire
• Unsolved Mysteries: Season 5, Episode 14

If you have any information about the disappearance of Anthonette Cayedito, please contact the Gallup Police Department at 1-505-863-9365. You can also contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

What do you think happened? Let me know in the comments.