Daughter holds onto hope 22 years after mother's disappearance from Navajo Nation

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It’s been more than 20 years since Laverda Sorrell, a mother of three, vanished without a trace from Fort Defiance, Ariz. in the Navajo Nation, leaving her family with unresolved grief and questions.

Tiffany Sorrell, Laverda’s daughter, sat down with KGUN 9 to share memories of her mother and the impact of her disappearance on their family.

Tiffany, who was only 14 when her mother went missing in the summer of 2002, recalled the moment she sensed something was terribly wrong: "I think the time that I knew something was wrong was when I woke up with police officers in my room," she said.

Laverda’s husband reported that he dropped her off at work that day, but she never returned home. Now, Tiffany, and her family have spent over two decades keeping their mother’s memory alive while holding on to hope for answers. Tiffany credits her aunt for much of the advocacy that has kept her mother’s case in the public eye.

As they approach their first holiday season in a new home, Tiffany says memories of her mother have resurfaced, making this time of year bittersweet. "I’m happy that I can live my life through her. What she’s taught me, the values she’s instilled in me—and I just know she would be really proud," she said.

Laverda’s disappearance is just one of more than 4,200 unsolved missing and murdered indigenous cases, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In 2023, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs established a task force aimed at addressing the crisis, which has impacted countless Native American families, including Tiffany’s.

Reflecting on the years of advocacy and painful reminders, Tiffany admits that “it does get tiring after a while to kind of keep bringing up the trauma.” Yet, she remains determined to honor her mother by living a life filled with resilience and hope. "I know that she’s going to be guiding me along the way," she shared. "I think in a way that in itself is kind of advocacy — that I’m not letting this hold me back or hold me down or as an excuse to why I can’t do something."