Crescent City, California — The Deng Vongphachan disappearance has left a family searching for answers since January 2024, when the 71-year-old mother of seven vanished while mushroom picking in the remote forests of Del Norte County.
This case was submitted to The Vivid Faces of the Vanished by Deng’s daughter, Noy Beaudoin, who continues to advocate for her mother and keep her story in the public eye.
On January 4, 2024, Deng Vongphachan left home to go mushroom picking near Low Divide Road and Signal Peak, outside Crescent City, California.
It was something she had done many times before.
The area is known for its rugged terrain, dense forest, and remote conditions, but Deng was familiar with mushroom foraging and routinely spent time in the area.
Her family expected her to return home later that evening.
She never did.
At the time, Deng was living with her son, Michael, in Crescent City.
According to her daughter Noy, Deng typically returned home around 7 p.m. after spending the day gathering mushrooms.
When she failed to return that evening, Michael initially wondered whether she had made an unexpected stop at a local store or casino.
As the hours passed, concern began to grow.
After waking the following morning and realizing Deng still had not returned, Michael began calling local hospitals and hotels in an effort to locate her.
No one had seen her.
On January 5, 2024, Deng Vongphachan was reported missing.
Search for Deng Vongphachan
Multiple agencies joined the search effort, including the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office, search and rescue teams, and air support units.
Crews searched for weeks under difficult conditions that included cold weather, rugged terrain, and heavily wooded areas.
During the search, investigators located Deng’s truck and later found her backpack.
Despite those discoveries, no additional trace of Deng was found.
The search ultimately failed to locate her.
More than a year later, her whereabouts remain unknown.
A Mother, Survivor, and Refugee
Deng is the mother of seven children and is originally from Laos.
Her family says she endured tremendous hardship throughout her life before building a future for her children in the United States.
Her son Johnny spoke about the sacrifices his mother made.
“Our mom, she is a refugee,” he told Dateline. “She’s one of those that had to cross the Mekong River and everything — go through all the hardships — to get to where she’s at and then raise a bunch, you know, bad little kids to become who we are today and did such an amazing job.”
For her family, Deng is far more than a missing persons case.
She is a mother, grandmother, survivor, and the foundation of a family that continues to hope for answers.
More than a year after her disappearance, her children remain determined to keep searching and sharing her story.
Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Deng Vongphachan is urged to contact the Del Norte Tip Line at 707-464-0851 or call 911.
© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished