That same night, some of her belongings were found on a road nearby. Her truck was found abandoned the next morning, damaged as if it had been driven off-road. Cocoa was found safe a short time later by a kind woman.

Eleven days later, a backpack with Bastian’s things was discovered.

Before disappearing, Bastian had stopped taking medication for bipolar disorder, though initially she felt better. She was a teacher, working towards a master’s degree, and saving for a house. But after a break-in at her apartment, she became frightened and erratic. She destroyed her phone and drove a long distance to Phoenix, Arizona and back the day before vanishing. She told her brother-in-law she wanted to disappear and start over. She was struggling with student loan debt and considering leaving her job.

Her family worries because, while she may have wanted to leave her life behind, her mental health and the unusual nature of her disappearance make them fear for her safety. Bastian was a writer and a Christian. The case remains a mystery.