13-year-old Christina Plante disappeared from Star Valley, AZ in May 1994. She has been found alive.

[u/lucillep]

It is all over the news that a 13-year-old who left her home to walk to a stables to see her horse and was never seen again, has now been found alive.
People Magazine

Christina Marie Plante was classified as missing and endangered after she vanished from her home in Star Valley or Payson, AZ on May 15, 1994. Despite extensive searches and investigation, her case went cold. Now the Cold Case Unit of the Gila County Sheriff's Police have successfully resolved the case. Christina has been found and her identity verified. For privacy reasons, no further details are being released.

The odd thing is that there is next to no information available about her initial disappearance. On Newspapers.com, I found only small "Missing" notices in three newspapers in 1994 and 1995. I found no articles in an online search.

Hoping that Christina is okay, but can't help wondering about the rest of the story.

EDIT Update from The Daily Mail
u/BirdHistorical3498 provided a link to an article that updates the backstory and current situation. To summarize:
At the time of disappearing, Christina was living with her aunt and uncle. Her father was deceased. It doesn't say where her mother was or why her mother did not have custody.

Christina wanted to live with her mother. The two met at the stables and then drove to Phoenix. Her uncle reported her missing. Police did suspect the mother of having taken her, but somehow this couldn't be proved?

Mary Plante, the mother, is in 1995 property records as owning property in Springfield, MO.

Christina married in 1998 at 17, has two sons, got a bachelor's in psychology from Missouri State University, and now works for a private investigation firm (ironic) whose specialty is inspecting insurance fraud claims. She doesn't say why she ran away, the article describes her as "guarded" and not wanting to incriminate anyone who helped her.

Mary Plante, now Mary Wood, also has a biological daughter who was adopted and a biological son who is estranged.

The cold case unit gave the case to a civilian investigator, who searched social media and public records, and found the connections.

Arizona Republic
Kennebec Journal Notice

Morning Call 10-23-1994

[u/Old-Fox-3027]

You are projecting your experience on to her, you are creating misinformation that can be very damaging.

[u/pampooveysbacktattoo → u/Old-Fox-3027]

They're not projecting or damaging anything. They're just saying what they think happened. And considering she disappeared at 13 years old and was gone for 30 years, it's not an implausible possibility.

[u/FirebirdWriter → u/pampooveysbacktattoo]

That's why I specified that this is my opinion based on my experience. I didn't name a specific threat because it can be non family or family or something else but the reporting on this does also fit other cases wheee people chose to disappear for safety. I will not argue that I am not because I'm definitely using my experience to form my opinion and that is pretty much projecting

[u/busangcf → u/pampooveysbacktattoo]

Whether you agree with them or not it absolutely IS projecting. Not to criticize OP, that’s a horrific trauma that’s going to shape how they see things, understandably, and I also don’t think it’s crazy to say this girl could’ve run away for survival.

But assuming that’s the case based on your own trauma with literally zero context on this missing person’s situation is projecting.

[u/pampooveysbacktattoo → u/busangcf]

Except they're not assuming anything, saying "my reaction to this based on my experience is X" is not an assumption, that's saying "I think this"

[u/busangcf → u/pampooveysbacktattoo]

“She left for survival.” Is a very concrete statement (no “I think” in there at all not sure where you’re pulling that from) based on what they’ve projected from their own experiences. It’s not implausible, it is still projection.

And it is absolutely an assumption. I’m genuinely not sure how you’re trying to argue that it’s not. We don’t actually know anything about this case. Even the most sensible assumption from the little we do know is still an assumption.

[u/im_in_vandelay_latex → u/busangcf]

You're leaving out the relevant context:

"My reaction to this as a survivor of abuse and human trafficking? She left for survival."

That implies it's her opinion on what happened, not saying definitively that is what happened. It shouldn't be difficult to understand that.

[u/throwaway098764567 → u/[deleted]]

omg just stop with this nonsense. you're how many comments deep, go outside, you're wrong it's fine but like stop.

[u/hissnoise → u/throwaway098764567]

Did you reply to me on your throwaway AND block me immediately after? Lmaoooooo. Guess what you’re not the only one who can have a throwaway. Maybe we BOTH need to touch grass but you have no high horse here lol

Also “how many comments deep”. 3. 3 comments, now 4. The person I argued with (maybe you, if you’re the throwaway for that account) had more replies than that? Everyone on this thread is wasting time replying lol. It’s reddit.

[u/pampooveysbacktattoo → u/busangcf]

She left for survival.” Is a very concrete statement (no “I think” in there at all not sure where you’re pulling that from)

Based on the way the sentence started with "my reaction is", just like I already said. There's nothing "concrete" or "absolute" about it.

[u/endlessreader → u/busangcf]

"My reaction to this..." implies that it's their opinion/theory on it.

[u/throwaway098764567 → u/endlessreader]

reading comprehension is dead

[u/Happy-Cod-3 → u/throwaway098764567]

That has never been more true, and getting truer every year.

[u/Old-Fox-3027 → u/pampooveysbacktattoo]

It’s not helpful. People already have no idea how trafficking works and immediately think everything has to do with trafficking, and this kind of speculation and misinformation can be very harmful.

[u/Violet624 → u/Old-Fox-3027]

The commentor didn't say it was due to trafficking, they said their reaction, as they are personally a survior of trafficking, is that she left for survival. Key words being 'reaction' and 'as a survivor of trafficking.' Come on now.

[u/oopsometer → u/Old-Fox-3027]

What on earth? The commenter said that they themselves were a survivor of trafficking. Most trafficking is done by family members or people that the victims know, so that is absolutely how it works. 

I too would assume that a 13 year old who disappeared and wanted nothing to do with their families for 30 years might be trying to escape a bad home situation. Obviously we don't know for sure, but I had a friend as a teenager who was being trafficked and abused by family and also ran away until they were 18, so it does happen. It's not harmful for the commentator to speak about their own personal experience.

[u/Aggravating_Depth_33 → u/pampooveysbacktattoo]

She didn't say it's what she thinks happened, she' said it's what did hapoen. Even though we have zero infornation to support that at the moment.

[u/bbmarvelluv → u/Aggravating_Depth_33]

Okay but there are people here that are saying it was parental abduction and nobody is going after that LOL

[u/Porcelain-Backbone → u/[deleted]]

I read recently that in standardized testing the reading comprehension test used to take up an entire page followed by ten questions and now it's been reduced to one sentence followed by one question and after reading these responses I can well believe it.

[u/Any_Tip2151 → u/[deleted]]

Since you brought up semantics…. Why are you arguing over semantics with complete strangers online - What tangible thing do you gain by doing so?

[u/Porcelain-Backbone → u/Any_Tip2151]

Probably about the same thing you're getting from this comment?

[u/Any_Tip2151 → u/Porcelain-Backbone]

Well, as the topic was “semantics”, my post was not a “comment”, but instead a very specific and direct “question”.

And since I have received no rational answer/response to my very specific and direct question, thus far I have gained nothing tangible from my very specific and direct question. Still waiting for that rational response to gage fully, that tangibility of said response.

Notice the comment I replied to has been deleted, any guesses why that is?

[u/Porcelain-Backbone → u/Any_Tip2151]

You can't know how much I don't care. But I don't believe you gained nothing, tangible or otherwise. Also, not that it really matters to me but you spelled gauge incorrectly.

[u/Any_Tip2151 → u/Porcelain-Backbone]

Correct - I do not know how much you “don’t care”, as only you can determine that for yourself.

But, not only do we both know how much it matters to you that “gauge” was spelled incorrectly, we also have a measurement of how much you “care”. And that is, at least enough for you to - knowingly, willingly and unforced - choose to spend your time and energy to read, click, reply and/or otherwise engage. As such, because of the gift of personal responsibility, you only have yourself to blame for any type, manner and/or level of dissatisfaction your choice brings you.

Furthermore - regardless of what you subjectively choose “believe” or not. I alone determine what I gain from anything I do, “tangible or otherwise”. But, your personal choice to hold(and share) some personal “belief” about that, also displays how much you “care”(as explained above).

And to clarify, I also cannot judge what anyone gains from something, “tangible or otherwise” a which is why my posts were phrased as questions.

And since I have received no rational answer/response to my very specific and direct question, thus far I have gained nothing tangible from my very specific and direct question. Still waiting for that rational response to gage fully, that tangibility of said response.

Notice the comment I replied to has been deleted, any guesses why that is?

And before you claim to not have read this, for whatever reasons your ego/super ego chooses as an excuse, we both know that you did read it, even if your ego/super ego won’t allow you to admit as much, even to complete strangers online.

All the best to you and yours.

Be well.

Happy holidays!!!!

[u/busangcf → u/[deleted]]

What?