The next year, her burned-out car was found in Aztec. Witnesses saw someone running away. The car’s license plate was different, but it was her car. Investigators found the car never left Farmington after Brookshier disappeared. Strangely, Lobato never reported her missing. Her sister tried to report her missing six months later, but the police didn’t record it. It wasn’t officially reported until over two years later, in January 2011.

Adding to the mystery, Lobato cashed two checks from Brookshier’s ex-boyfriend, Joseph Marin, after she disappeared. The checks were altered, and Lobato’s explanations didn’t add up. He was charged with fraud and forgery, but the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. He was never charged with anything related to Brookshier’s disappearance.

Brookshier had two children. There’s been no activity on her Social Security number since she vanished, and she was unusually out of contact with her sister, with whom she spoke daily before her disappearance. To this day, what happened to Brenda Brookshier remains a mystery.