A volunteer dive team pinpointed the final resting place of a Sacramento mother and her infant daughter, ending a desperate 33-day hunt that left family members pleading for answers from authorities.

Whisper Owen, 36, and her 8-month-old daughter, Sandra McCarty, disappeared on July 15, 2025, after leaving a doctor’s appointment in Fresno. The pair was headed back to their home in Elk Grove, near Sacramento, in Owen’s distinctive silver 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer – a vehicle marked by a broken driver’s side headlight and damage to the driver’s door.

Owen, described by loved ones as a devoted mother of four, had visited family in Fresno earlier that day. She checked in at her mother’s home around 5 p.m., changed Sandra’s diaper at a smoke shop in Atwater roughly 7:30 p.m., and was captured on traffic cameras in the area around 8 p.m. The last confirmed sighting came via license plate readers in Waterford around 9 p.m., as she appeared to take backroads north toward Sacramento.

By July 19, four days later, Owen’s partner, Robert McCarty, and other family members grew alarmed when she failed to return or respond to calls. Fresno County authorities issued a missing persons alert, but the case quickly stalled amid jurisdictional hurdles spanning Fresno, Merced, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin counties.

Complicating matters were Owen’s personal circumstances: a history of stroke-level high blood pressure, no valid driver’s license, and an active warrant out of Sacramento County stemming from a 2021 felony child abuse conviction she had pleaded no contest to. Family members speculated she might have avoided main highways to evade detection, given the Trailblazer’s glaring defects.

Family Frustration Mounts as Leads Dry Up

Richard Owen, Whisper’s brother, became the family’s relentless advocate. “We were begging law enforcement to take this seriously,” he later told reporters, his voice cracking with emotion. He scoured local businesses for surveillance footage, chased down every tip, and publicly blasted agencies for what he called an “oversight.” Early on, detectives reportedly suggested Owen might have “taken a break” or didn’t want to be found – remarks that infuriated relatives.

A breakthrough came when police finally pinged Owen’s cell phone, placing it near the edge of an irrigation canal off Highway 120 and Victory Road in rural Oakdale – about 45 minutes north of Atwater. San Joaquin County deputies and divers swept the area on August 8 but came up empty.

With official efforts cooling, the Owens turned to Adventures With Purpose (AWP), a nonprofit dive team renowned for cracking cold cases using sonar technology. Founded by Jared Leisek, AWP has resolved over two dozen missing persons investigations nationwide, often succeeding where police resources fall short.

Sonar Strike: Discovery Under the Bridge

On their first day in California, the AWP team mapped probable routes based on camera sightings, Owen’s medical history, and her warrant. They cleared self-harm sites and issued a public call for security footage. Ten days later, on August 17, joined by local searcher Chris Waller and diver Juan Heredia from Angels Recovery Dive Team, they launched their boat into the canal.

Within 10 minutes, sonar lit up a massive target: a vehicle matching the Trailblazer’s size and shape, pinned upside-down under a bridge. Heredia dove in, confirming an adult body in the front seat and signs of a child in the back. “It appears Whisper was crawling toward the backseat to save Sandra,” Leisek recounted, noting the heart-wrenching positioning.

Protocol kicked in immediately. San Joaquin County Sheriff’s deputies arrived, followed by their dive unit. Crews drained the canal, extracted the remains – presumptively identified as Owen and Sandra – and winched the SUV ashore amid a crowd of tearful family members.

Fresno Police dispatched detectives to coordinate, vowing chaplain support for the grieving. The California Highway Patrol launched a parallel probe into how the Trailblazer plunged into the waterway – possibly a wrong turn on unfamiliar backroads at night.

A Bittersweet Closure

Richard Owen hugged rescuers tightly as the vehicle emerged. “We don’t have to wonder for 10 or 20 years,” he said, though pain etched his face. “They’re beautiful people who made a big difference.” A GoFundMe for funeral costs surged with donations, reflecting national sympathy.

The tragedy underscores vulnerabilities in missing persons probes, especially for those with warrants or health issues. Families like the Owens say volunteer groups like AWP fill critical gaps, providing closure free of charge through public donations.

As the investigation continues, Owen’s other three children face life without their mother and sister. “She was loving and attentive,” friends echoed. In death, Whisper and Sandra’s story has amplified calls for better inter-agency coordination – and reminded a nation of the quiet heroes scanning depths for the lost.