Beverley Ozuna-Ulrich was last seen October 17, 2003, in Belle Fourche, South Dakota. Her disappearance is still a mystery

Beverly Ozuna-Ulrich, the mother of eight children, was living in Belle Fourche, South Dakota in 2003. A small town of fewer than 6,000 residents, Belle Forche is about 13 miles from the Wyoming border. A member of the Lakota tribe, Beverly was the youngest of 16 siblings in a large, close-knit family.

Roughly 14 months before Beverly disappeared, she had separated from her husband. However, she would regularly return to the home to cook and clean for the children. Beverly was last seen leaving her South Dakota home on October 17, 2003, by her estranged husband, Steven. Ten days later on October 27, 2003, her family would report her missing. While Beverly was known to travel unannounced from time to time, she always kept in close contact with her children and her siblings.

Two major leads

In February 2004, authorities were alerted to a body that was found along Interstate 90 in South Dakota. Believed to be Beverly, DNA would prove it was another woman who was never publicly identified. Then, in October 2008, five years after she disappeared, a tip was called into the Belle Forche Police Department which resulted in a canine-led search of a 20-acre site on the outskirts of the city, but there was no sign of Beverly.

What we know about Beverly’s case today

Unfortunately, Beverly is one of the numerous indigenous women who go missing or are murdered throughout the US. Recently, the formation of a new unit dedicated to missing & murdered indigenous people was enacted within the Bureau of Indian Affairs by Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland to increase resources and cooperation related to cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.

With little left to go on in her case, investigators and family members believe it is likely that Beverely is deceased. However, they still hold annual vigils in hopes to find out what happened. If you have any information regarding Beverly’s case, please contact the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation at 605-391-6661.