Overview

Laura Caballero Conde was 36 years old when she disappeared from Arbuckle, a community in Colusa County, California, on August 16, 2021. More than five years later, the circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain unresolved in publicly available records.

Full name: Laura Caballero Conde, also listed as Laura C. Conde.

Age when missing: 36 years old.

Date last seen: August 16, 2021.

Last known location: Grant Avenue area, Arbuckle, Colusa County, California.

Case classification: Endangered missing person, as classified by The Charley Project.

Investigating agency: Colusa County Sheriff’s Department.

Official case number: 21-00694.

NamUs reference: MP83734.

Publicly documented status: Unresolved missing-person case, with no publicly verified recovery or confirmed resolution located as of October 30, 2026.

Laura reportedly disappeared after a period of changes in her living arrangements and behavior. Her dog, a Belgian Malinois named Mala, also disappeared. Although available case reporting describes her departure as potentially voluntary, her prolonged absence and the circumstances surrounding it have left significant unanswered questions.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Case Summary

Laura Caballero Conde was 36 years old when she disappeared from Arbuckle, a community in Colusa County, California, on August 16, 2021. More than five years later, the circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain unresolved in publicly available records.

Full name: Laura Caballero Conde, also listed as Laura C. Conde.

Age when missing: 36 years old.

Date last seen: August 16, 2021.

Last known location: Grant Avenue area, Arbuckle, Colusa County, California.

Case classification: Endangered missing person, as classified by The Charley Project.

Investigating agency: Colusa County Sheriff’s Department.

Official case number: 21-00694.

NamUs reference: MP83734.

Publicly documented status: Unresolved missing-person case, with no publicly verified recovery or confirmed resolution located as of October 30, 2026.

Laura reportedly disappeared after a period of changes in her living arrangements and behavior. Her dog, a Belgian Malinois named Mala, also disappeared. Although available case reporting describes her departure as potentially voluntary, her prolonged absence and the circumstances surrounding it have left significant unanswered questions.

Background and Circumstances of Laura Conde’s Disappearance

Laura Caballero Conde was born on September 27, 1984, and is of Filipino descent. At the time she disappeared, she was 36 years old and living in the Arbuckle area of northern California.

According to information compiled by The Charley Project from missing-person records and reporting, Laura had recently moved out of her parents’ home following an argument. She had reportedly been staying at another local residence for approximately two weeks before her disappearance.

On August 16, 2021, Laura was last seen in the area of Grant Avenue in Arbuckle. Available public case summaries do not establish the precise time of her last confirmed sighting or provide a complete account of her movements that day.

Laura’s dog, Mala, a one-year-old tan Belgian Malinois, disappeared at approximately the same time. Investigative summaries also indicate that a tent and small camping stove were missing from the residence where Laura had been staying. These circumstances raised the possibility that she had taken supplies with her when she left.

However, the presence of missing camping equipment does not establish where Laura went, whether she intended to camp outdoors, or what happened after her last reported sighting.

Physical Description and Clothing

Laura was described as approximately 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighing about 115 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Her ears are pierced.

She was reportedly wearing a tan shirt, a long skirt, sunglasses, and a hat or other head covering around the time of her disappearance. These details may be important to anyone who remembers seeing a woman matching her description in Arbuckle or the surrounding area during August 2021.

Reported Changes Before She Vanished

Public case reporting describes changes in Laura’s clothing and behavior before she disappeared. She reportedly began wearing sunglasses indoors and clothing that covered much of her skin. The Charley Project notes that these changes may have been associated with religious ideas she encountered online.

The same case summary raises the possibility that Laura was experiencing mental health difficulties. This is a reported concern, not a publicly verified medical diagnosis, and it should not be treated as proof of why she disappeared.

These details provide context for the disappearance, but they do not establish that Laura intended to remain missing, that she was incapable of making independent decisions, or that another person was responsible for her absence.

Investigation History and Available Evidence

The Colusa County Sheriff’s Department is identified as the investigating agency in Laura’s disappearance. California’s Department of Justice also maintains a missing-person listing for Laura under official case number 21-00694.

Her disappearance has additionally been documented through the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, known as NamUs, under missing-person reference MP83734. These records provide identifying information that can assist investigators and members of the public in recognizing or locating her.

The Significance of Mala and the Missing Camping Equipment

One of the most distinctive circumstances is the reported disappearance of Laura’s dog, Mala. Because Mala was missing along with Laura, information about either of them could potentially help clarify Laura’s movements after August 16, 2021.

The reportedly missing tent and camping stove are also relevant. They suggest the possibility that Laura left with equipment suitable for temporary outdoor shelter, but no publicly verified account establishes whether she used these items or where they were taken.

No publicly confirmed discovery of Mala, the tent, or the camping stove was located in the reviewed material.

Searches, Witnesses, and Forensic Evidence

The publicly accessible sources reviewed do not provide a sufficiently detailed record of specific ground searches, search warrants, surveillance findings, witness interviews, or forensic examinations to describe those activities as confirmed events.

Similarly, no verified public announcement was located identifying a suspect, reporting an arrest, establishing a crime scene, or confirming a DNA or genetic genealogy breakthrough specifically connected to Laura’s disappearance.

This absence of published information does not mean investigators have taken no additional steps. Law enforcement agencies may possess investigative information that has not been released publicly.

Theories and Unresolved Questions

Several questions remain unanswered, but the available evidence does not support a definitive explanation for Laura’s disappearance. It is important to distinguish the circumstances described in public case summaries from conclusions that have not been established.

Did Laura Leave Voluntarily?

The Charley Project reports that Laura’s disappearance has been considered voluntary, while also describing her absence as uncharacteristic. Her recent change in residence and the missing camping equipment may be consistent with a planned departure, but they do not prove that she intended to cut off contact indefinitely.

Even when a missing adult initially leaves voluntarily, subsequent circumstances can create danger or prevent that person from returning or communicating. The publicly documented facts do not establish what happened to Laura after her last reported sighting.

Could She Have Encountered Danger After Leaving?

Another unresolved possibility is that Laura encountered an emergency or other dangerous circumstances after leaving the residence where she had been staying. There is no publicly confirmed evidence identifying a particular accident, location, injury, or criminal act.

Her disappearance should therefore not be described as a confirmed abduction or homicide. Neither a specific perpetrator nor a criminal motive has been established in the verified public information reviewed.

Questions That Remain Unanswered

Important unanswered questions include Laura’s intended destination, whether she traveled with Mala beyond Arbuckle, whether she carried the missing camping supplies, and whether anyone had reliable contact with her after August 16, 2021.

It also remains unclear from public reporting whether investigators obtained additional corroborated sightings, recovered personal belongings, or established a later timeline of her movements.

These are investigative questions rather than evidence supporting any particular theory. Without additional verified information, it would be inappropriate to attribute Laura’s disappearance to a specific individual, belief, medical condition, or event.

Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates

As of October 30, 2026, no publicly confirmed recent investigative breakthrough, recovery, arrest, or resolution was located in the sources reviewed for Laura Caballero Conde’s disappearance.

Her case continues to appear in public missing-person resources, including California’s Department of Justice missing-person search and independently maintained case directories.

The Charley Project records an update dated November 6, 2023, involving additional photographs and revisions to its account of the disappearance. That profile update should not be mistaken for a newly confirmed investigative development or discovery.

The availability of Laura’s missing-person information remains important because it allows members of the public to review her description, recognize her photograph, and provide potentially relevant information to investigators.

There was no verified public confirmation in the reviewed sources that Laura had been located, that her remains had been identified, or that her case had been officially reclassified as a homicide. The most recent investigative activity, including any work not publicly disclosed, should be confirmed directly with the Colusa County Sheriff’s Department.

Conclusion and Public Appeal for Information

Laura Caballero Conde’s disappearance from Arbuckle on August 16, 2021, remains an unresolved case with substantial gaps in the public record. She was 36 years old when she vanished, and the disappearance of her dog, Mala, adds another distinctive detail to the search for answers.

Although the circumstances suggest that Laura may initially have left her residence by choice, the available information does not explain what happened afterward. Her whereabouts remain unknown in the reviewed public records, and there is no verified basis for concluding that she is deceased.

Anyone who saw Laura, encountered a tan Belgian Malinois resembling Mala, or has credible information about Laura’s movements in or around Arbuckle during August 2021 is encouraged to contact the Colusa County Sheriff’s Department at (530) 458-0200. Callers may reference case number 21-00694.

Even information that seemed insignificant at the time may help investigators clarify the circumstances of her disappearance. Potential witnesses should share information directly with law enforcement rather than publish unverified allegations or personal information online.

Laura deserves to be remembered as a missing person whose story remains unfinished. Continued attention, accurate information, and responsible reporting may help bring answers to those waiting to learn what happened to her.