Missing June 30th, 1987, she was found April 1988 but not identified; finally buried June 2005.
On June 13, 1987, Judi Sahm got a phone call that her daughter had run away from Hogares, a nonprofit group home that contracts with the state to house troubled youths in Albuquerque. Her daughter was sentenced to live there for about two years because she didn't go to school.
When police took the report, they labeled Norma Sahm a runaway despite Mrs. Sahm's objections.
About 13 months later Albuquerque police found Sahm's remains in the West Mesa. When they compared the remains to missing person cases, Sahm's report was never pulled because she was listed as a runaway.
Eventually, sometime in the 1990s, Judi Sahm's persistence got her daughter's report status changed to that of a missing person, but she didn't have any luck convincing the local media to do stories on her daughter.
Sheriff's deputies have acknowledged that an "administrative error" occurred years ago that prevented them from identifying Norma Sahm's body sooner. They said the deputy who took the initial report didn't list Sahm as a missing person.
Norma Sahm's remains were returned to her Alamogordo home. Judi Sahm held a small graveside service in a Catholic cemetery. Her remains were in a small child-sized casket and purple— Norma's favorite color— was everywhere. There was a purple bouquet and 18 purple balloons.
The service was held on the 18th anniversary of her disappearance.
On June 13, 1987, Judi Sahm got a phone call that her daughter had run away from Hogares, a nonprofit group home that contracts with the state to house troubled youths in Albuquerque. Her daughter was sentenced to live there for about two years because she didn't go to school.
When police took the report, they labeled Norma Sahm a runaway despite Mrs. Sahm's objections.
About 13 months later Albuquerque police found Sahm's remains in the West Mesa. When they compared the remains to missing person cases, Sahm's report was never pulled because she was listed as a runaway.
Eventually, sometime in the 1990s, Judi Sahm's persistence got her daughter's report status changed to that of a missing person, but she didn't have any luck convincing the local media to do stories on her daughter.
Sheriff's deputies have acknowledged that an "administrative error" occurred years ago that prevented them from identifying Norma Sahm's body sooner. They said the deputy who took the initial report didn't list Sahm as a missing person.
Norma Sahm's remains were returned to her Alamogordo home. Judi Sahm held a small graveside service in a Catholic cemetery. Her remains were in a small child-sized casket and purple— Norma's favorite color— was everywhere. There was a purple bouquet and 18 purple balloons.
The service was held on the 18th anniversary of her disappearance.
Missing June 30th, 1987, she was found April 1988 but not identified; finally buried June 2005.
On June 13, 1987, Judi Sahm got a phone call that her daughter had run away from Hogares, a nonprofit group home that contracts with the state to house troubled youths in Albuquerque. Her daughter was sentenced to live there for about two years because she didn't go to school.
When police took the report, they labeled Norma Sahm a runaway despite Mrs. Sahm's objections.
About 13 months later Albuquerque police found Sahm's remains in the West Mesa. When they compared the remains to missing person cases, Sahm's report was never pulled because she was listed as a runaway.
Eventually, sometime in the 1990s, Judi Sahm's persistence got her daughter's report status changed to that of a missing person, but she didn't have any luck convincing the local media to do stories on her daughter.
Sheriff's deputies have acknowledged that an "administrative error" occurred years ago that prevented them from identifying Norma Sahm's body sooner. They said the deputy who took the initial report didn't list Sahm as a missing person.
Norma Sahm's remains were returned to her Alamogordo home. Judi Sahm held a small graveside service in a Catholic cemetery. Her remains were in a small child-sized casket and purple— Norma's favorite color— was everywhere. There was a purple bouquet and 18 purple balloons.
The service was held on the 18th anniversary of her disappearance.
On June 13, 1987, Judi Sahm got a phone call that her daughter had run away from Hogares, a nonprofit group home that contracts with the state to house troubled youths in Albuquerque. Her daughter was sentenced to live there for about two years because she didn't go to school.
When police took the report, they labeled Norma Sahm a runaway despite Mrs. Sahm's objections.
About 13 months later Albuquerque police found Sahm's remains in the West Mesa. When they compared the remains to missing person cases, Sahm's report was never pulled because she was listed as a runaway.
Eventually, sometime in the 1990s, Judi Sahm's persistence got her daughter's report status changed to that of a missing person, but she didn't have any luck convincing the local media to do stories on her daughter.
Sheriff's deputies have acknowledged that an "administrative error" occurred years ago that prevented them from identifying Norma Sahm's body sooner. They said the deputy who took the initial report didn't list Sahm as a missing person.
Norma Sahm's remains were returned to her Alamogordo home. Judi Sahm held a small graveside service in a Catholic cemetery. Her remains were in a small child-sized casket and purple— Norma's favorite color— was everywhere. There was a purple bouquet and 18 purple balloons.
The service was held on the 18th anniversary of her disappearance.
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