‘Explain their disappearance’: Mother-daughter duo ghost family after quick trip to grab baby supplies

Whisper Owen, a 36‑year‑old mother from Elk Grove, California, and her 8‑month‑old daughter, Sandra McCarty, vanished on July 15, 2025, after leaving a doctor’s appointment in Fresno.

Family members say the mother had planned only one stop, to get a can of formula because she was on her last bottle. Owen and Sandra departed Fresno at about 5 p.m., bound for Elk Grove in Sacramento County, about 200 miles north of Fresno, but never arrived.

A traffic camera captured their silver 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer, license plate 9LKH008, and missing a driver‑side headlight, in Atwater, roughly 60 miles north of Fresno, around 8 p.m. that night. Despite extensive searching, “no information has been discovered to explain their disappearance,” according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

Family’s concerns and a possible medical emergency

Owen had reportedly been visiting family in Fresno and didn’t own a working phone, explaining why her didn’t file a missing persons report until July 19, four days after she was last seen. Her family in Fresno assumed she made it home, and those who knew her in Elk Grove assumed she stayed in Fresno a few days longer.

California authorities have classified the case as an Endangered Missing Advisory. They say they believe Owen and her daughter are no longer in Fresno, but that there is nothing to suggest foul play. Owen has three other children, ages 17, 8, and 3, who are all reportedly devastated that their mother is missing.

Owen’s mother, Vickie Torres, in Fresno, said, “We had a wonderful visit,” and “Something has happened. Nobody knows.”

Meanwhile, her brother Richard Owen voiced fears that a medical emergency may have occurred: “My fear is that maybe there was a medical emergency behind the wheel, and maybe she had veered off the road,” he said. Family members emphatically reject the idea that Owen left voluntarily.

The search continues

In response, family members have personally searched in and around Atwater and traveled their usual route along California’s Highway 99 seeking any clues.

As of July 29, 2025, investigators report that no signs of foul play have emerged, and no physical evidence explains the disappearance. Law enforcement continues to coordinate across multiple jurisdictions and has circulated photographs of Owen and Sandra. Investigators say they are mapping known routes she frequented and urging anyone between Atwater and Sacramento to review security footage.