From Mystery to Miracle: Missing Sisters Found Safe After 36 Years

The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office announced today that Elizabeth and Jasmin Ramos, missing for 36 years, have been found alive. The sisters were just 1 month and 1 year old when they disappeared along with their mother, Marina Ramos. Marina’s body was later found in the Arizona desert, leaving investigators with more questions than answers.

In August, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released age-progressed images showing what Elizabeth and Jasmin might look like today. Just weeks later, investigators finally made the breakthrough they had been chasing – thanks to persistent police work and advanced genetic genealogy. On Aug. 27, 2025, they located a woman whose DNA closely matched the Ramos family. A forensic genealogist confirmed what they had long suspected: she was very likely one of the missing sisters.

Newspaper coverage of the Ramos sisters. 

DNA testing soon provided the final proof. The woman and her sister were identified as Jasmin and Elizabeth, the children who had vanished decades earlier. As investigators connected with them, the story of their early years began to emerge. According to law enforcement in December 1989, two children were discovered abandoned in a public park restroom in Oxnard, California. A passerby heard the sound of children crying and alerted a nearby woman. When she entered the restroom, she found the girls lying on the wet floor with no adult in sight.

The children whose identifies remained unknown were placed in foster care. They were later adopted by a couple in Ventura County and raised together. Though they grew up safe and cared for, the mystery of their past remained unsolved for 36 years.

Elizabeth and Jasmin as toddlers.

While the discovery of Elizabeth and Jasmin brings hope and healing, the search for justice continues. Investigators are still seeking answers in the homicide of Marina Ramos. A witness at the time reported seeing a Hispanic woman in a long red skirt and white boots, along with two Hispanic men, near the children at the park. They were observed driving a black mini pickup truck. The woman was carrying the younger child wrapped in a yellow blanket, while one of the men carried the older girl.

Anyone with information that may help solve Marina Ramos’ case is urged to call investigators at 928-753-0753, ext. 4408.

This case is a reminder that even decades later, breakthroughs are possible. With persistence, innovation and hope, families can find answers – and justice can still be pursued.

Read our earlier story about the Ramos sisters here.