Overview

Last seen: August 13, 2005, at approximately 9:14 a.m.
Location: Navajo Shopping Center in Gamerco, New Mexico
Circumstances: Raymond was last seen by his common-law wife and subsequently disappeared. He has not contacted his family or been reliably sighted since that morning. No publicly confirmed explanation for his disappearance has been released.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Raymond T. Begay Missing-Person Case: What Happened in Gamerco, New Mexico?

Raymond T. Begay was 41 years old when he disappeared from Gamerco, New Mexico, on August 13, 2005. He was reportedly last seen by his common-law wife at the Navajo Shopping Center at approximately 9:14 a.m. After that encounter, Raymond was never seen or heard from again.

More than two decades later, the circumstances surrounding Raymond’s disappearance remain largely unknown. Public case records do not identify a confirmed destination, vehicle, planned trip, suspect, or explanation for why he vanished. His case remains listed in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System under NamUs number MP5296, and he continues to appear in the FBI’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons records.

Brief Case Summary

Last seen: August 13, 2005, at approximately 9:14 a.m.
Location: Navajo Shopping Center in Gamerco, New Mexico
Circumstances: Raymond was last seen by his common-law wife and subsequently disappeared. He has not contacted his family or been reliably sighted since that morning. No publicly confirmed explanation for his disappearance has been released.

Who Is Raymond T. Begay?

Raymond was born on April 2, 1964. At the time he disappeared, he was described as a Native American man standing approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing about 180 pounds. He had black hair and brown eyes.

Several physical characteristics may help identify him:

1. A tattoo resembling rabbit ears on his lower right calf
2. A peacock tattoo on his left forearm
3. Two heart tattoos on his right forearm
4. A permanently bent right pinky finger that cannot be fully straightened

These identifying features remain important because Raymond’s appearance may have changed considerably since 2005.

The Morning Raymond Begay Disappeared

According to the limited publicly released account, Raymond was at the Navajo Shopping Center in Gamerco on the morning of August 13, 2005. His common-law wife reportedly saw him there at approximately 9:14 a.m. That is the last confirmed account of his whereabouts.

There is little publicly available information about what happened immediately before or after the sighting. Authorities have not publicly disclosed whether Raymond entered a vehicle, left with another person, planned to meet someone, or was experiencing a personal emergency.

The absence of a publicly established trail has left his family and investigators with very few known facts from which to reconstruct his movements.

Main Points Surrounding the Disappearance

Raymond disappeared during daylight hours from a commercial location where other people may have been present.

His common-law wife was reportedly the last known person to see him, but public sources do not suggest that she was accused of wrongdoing.

No confirmed sightings of Raymond have been publicly reported since August 13, 2005.

No publicly identified suspect, arrest, or criminal charge has been announced in connection with his disappearance.

There has been no official public determination that Raymond died or was the victim of homicide. His case should therefore continue to be described as an unresolved missing-person investigation.

Latest Publicly Available Investigation Information

Raymond’s NamUs record remains publicly accessible as missing-person case MP5296. The federal record lists August 13, 2005, as his date of last contact and identifies Gamerco as the community from which he disappeared. The NamUs case page was created on April 12, 2021.

Raymond also remains included in the FBI’s collection of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons cases. The FBI entry identifies him as a male born in 1964 whose last contact occurred on August 13, 2005. His continued presence in both federal systems indicates that the case has not been publicly resolved.

The McKinley County Sheriff’s Office remains the investigating agency listed in public case resources. As of July 2026, no official public announcement located for this article reported Raymond’s recovery, an arrest, a named suspect, or a change in his classification from missing. The absence of a public announcement does not necessarily mean investigators have no private leads; agencies routinely withhold details that could affect an investigation.

Why Raymond Begay’s Case Still Matters

Raymond’s disappearance is part of the broader crisis involving missing Indigenous people in New Mexico and throughout the United States. His case illustrates how a person can disappear from a populated location while leaving behind very little publicly known evidence.

Time can make an investigation more difficult, but it can also change the willingness of witnesses to speak. Relationships shift, loyalties fade, and someone who remained silent in 2005 may now be prepared to share information.

Even a seemingly minor detail could be significant, including seeing Raymond at the shopping center, observing him speak with someone, noticing a vehicle near him, or hearing another person discuss his disappearance.

How the Public Can Help

Anyone with information should contact the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office and reference Raymond T. Begay and NamUs case MP5296. Tips should be submitted directly to law enforcement rather than posted publicly, where speculation or unverified accusations could interfere with the investigation.

Raymond’s family has lived without answers since August 13, 2005. Confirmed information about his movements that morning—or information about what happened afterward—could help investigators determine where he went and why he never returned.

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Facebook Post:
Raymond T. Begay has been missing from Gamerco, New Mexico since August 13th, 2005. He hasn’t been seen since.

Raymond was last seen on August 13th at 9:14 am by his wife at the Navajo Shopping Center. The 41-year-old Native man has black hair and brown eyes. He was 5’4 and 180 lbs when last seen. Raymond has a crippled right pinky finger. He has a tattoo of a peacock on his left forearm, a tattoo of bunny ears on his lower right calf, and a tattoo to two hearts on his right forearm. Raymond is listed as # MP5296 in NaMus and there are two exclusions for his DNA.

If you have any information in the disappearance of Raymond T. Begay please all the McKinley County Sheriff at 505-863-1410. All information is helpful.