She Went Missing After Leaving For A Hike In 2023, And Her Car Was Later Found Abandoned With A Burner Phone Inside
Up until last year, Ingrid Lane, a 37-year-old New Mexico resident, was enjoying a loving marriage with her husband, Louis. According to Louis, Ingrid was “one-of-a-kind” and “a love unmatched.”
“She’s my person. I don’t know how better to put it than that,” he said.
But, just four months after they purchased a home together, Ingrid tragically disappeared in the Jemez Mountains in October 2023.
She was reportedly a practicing Buddhist who loved spending time outdoors and often ventured on solo hikes. So, when Ingrid told Louis that she planned to go to the Bodhi Manda Zen Center in Jemez Springs, New Mexico, on October 14, 2023, he fully supported it.
Ingrid discussed the plan with her husband at about 5:30 a.m., and at the time, they both agreed it was a good idea. She’d apparently stayed at the meditation center many times before, and Louis believed the retreat would be good for her mental health.
“I thought nothing of it. And I, in fact, was very encouraging of her going up there to do a meditation retreat. She’d had some real struggles recently, so I thought, that’s a great, great idea,” Louis recalled.
“Ingrid is fantastic at taking care of others and incredibly generous. But not good at taking care of herself.”
After Ingrid left her home early that morning, she got to the meditation center a couple of hours later and spent the night there. Then, the next morning, she participated in a group meditation before leaving for a hike at 8:00 a.m. or 9:00 a.m.
This was the last time anyone saw Ingrid, and she hasn’t been heard from since.
MelvinL – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
When Louis didn’t hear from his wife, he wasn’t immediately concerned. He figured that she was “unplugging” from her phone, and he didn’t want to interrupt her tranquility.
“It’s not unusual for her to go without contacting anyone for a day. Two days would be a little out of the ordinary. Three was getting into like, I am extremely worried,” he explained.
At that point, Louis called the meditation center and learned that his wife hadn’t been seen since she left for her hike on the morning of October 15. Apparently, the staff had assumed she’d left.
This prompted Louis to contact the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, and once an investigation was launched, an Apple air tag helped lead investigators to Ingrid’s damaged car, as well as some hunters.
The hunters claimed to have seen Ingrid when she flagged them down because her car had “got messed up.”
“They helped her with a tire and offered to give her a ride back down the main road, which she didn’t take. She said she was really determined to get to the top of a mountain or peak,” Louis detailed.
Ingrid’s car, a black 2019 Subaru Impreza hatchback, was found abandoned on Forest Road 144 between Los Alamos and Jemez Springs. The car had a broken rear window, and inside, a burner phone was found. The phone was still in its package and had not been opened nor activated.
“That’s a huge shock to me. That’s a huge shock to me to find out,” Louis said, calling this detail of his wife’s case “very strange.”
After Ingrid disappeared, the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, State Police, and New Mexico Search and Rescue worked together to search the area. But, even with the help of drones and canine units, no evidence was found.
Ingrid’s family also set up a Facebook group entitled “Find Ingrid Lane” and a GoFundMe, which has since raised nearly $30,000 to fund a helicopter search. However, according to an update posted on January 31, 2024, there have been no developments in the search for Ingrid.
Her identical twin sister, Kelsey Lane, and her mother, Rebecca Lane, who both reside in Oregon, traveled to New Mexico and stayed with Louis as they aided the search efforts. Kelsey opened up about how, as time goes on, she’s having trouble feeling her sister’s “presence” anymore.
“I have not felt her presence the same way since, and I’m trying not to read into that, but it definitely makes me sad; it makes me worry. I just hope she’s okay,” she said.
According to Rebecca, her daughter had “such a zest for life,” and in the wake of Ingrid’s disappearance, she’s been left heartbroken.
“I’m putting one foot in front of the other and breathing. I can’t not have some hope, but I’m realistic,” Rebecca stated.
“We did a bunch of stuff. We were an outdoor family. We skied and hiked and kayaked. She loved kayaking. She always stood up for the underdog. She also advocated for the LGBTQ+ community. She wanted to get more people into the STEM pipeline,” she continued.
“My last text to her was ‘I love you,’ and I see it was delivered.”
Ingrid reportedly suffered from a rare lung condition that worsened in cold weather. It is unclear whether her health condition was a factor in her disappearance.
Ingrid is five foot five, weighs 120 pounds, and has brown hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing black jogger pants, a grey fleece jacket, and a grey knit hat.
If you have any information regarding her disappearance or whereabouts, you are urged to contact the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office at (505) 867-7526.
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