22 September 2023
EMPORIA (KSNT) – Two Emporia women who went missing for days after a trip to Colorado have been found dead. One of those women’s family members are in shock after hearing about the death of one their loved one.
Linda Estrada and Amy Ford went missing earlier this month while visiting Colorado, prompting family members to report them missing on Sept. 11. Law enforcement spent the next several days searching for the women and found them dead in Eastern rural Colorado Wednesday.
Estrada’s family is speaking out to share the story of their loved one and get justice. One of Estrada’s eight children told 27 News she cannot wrap her head around the news.
“She was a very good person,” Briann Gomez said. “She had a heart. She loved all her kids I know. She would give her shirt off her back to others if she had to. She was just there.”
She’s one of Estrada’s oldest daughters. The family said they knew it was a possibility after she went missing but having confirmation of her death hit hard. Losing her was hard enough, but Estrada’s younger sister Rachel Rios said the way they lost her makes this even more difficult.
“I appreciate everyone that’s been a part in locating her,” Rios said. “We just that you just continue to keep her alive even though she’s gone, and don’t forget about her. She was a good person, she is, and she will be missed very much.”
Rios and other family members have a GoFundMe set up to cover not just Estrada’s funeral costs, but future expenses for her children. Estrada’s family is looking for ways to move forward, but most importantly, they said they just want justice for Estrada and Ford.
According to Emporia Police, there is a person of interested in custody on related charges. That person has not yet been identified.