Luis Angel Sanchez

• Missing Since 06/06/2001
• Missing From Tracy, California
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Male
• Race Hispanic
• Date of Birth 10/21/1997 (26)
• Age 3 years old
• Height and Weight 3'4, 40 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics Hispanic male. Brown hair, brown eyes.

Details of Disappearance

Luis resided with his mother, Katherine Elizabeth "Kitty" Sanchez and her former boyfriend, William Christopher Krumlinde, in Tracy, California. Photos of Katherine and Krumlinde are posted with this case summary.

Luis was last seen on June 6, 2001. Authorities believe he was staying in room 26 of the Hacienda Inn motel in the 600 block of west 11th Street in Tracy with the couple. Luis has never been heard from again. His family members reported his disappearance to authorities in July 2002. It is not clear why his relatives waited more than one year before contacting law enforcement officials.

Authorities determined that Luis was a victim of homicide and charged Krumlinde with his murder on July 22, 2002. Investigators allege that Krumlinde killed Luis inside their motel room, then buried the child in a nearby field. Katherine was charged with child abuse/endangerment. Authorities believe that she assisted Krumlinde with Luis's burial.

Katherine told investigators that she was intoxicated at the time and could not remember the exact location of her son's body. She and Krumlinde were also charged with unlawful disposal of human remains.

Katherine resided in Manteca, California and Krumlinde lived in Hayward, California at the time of their arrests. The couple kept Luis's death a secret until his disappearance was reported. Witnesses stated that Katherine told them Luis was residing with her mother later during the summer of 2001. Luis's grandmother spoke to Katherine sporadically and said she had not seen her grandson since June 2001.

Investigators believe that Luis was buried in an area near the Delta-Mendota Canal along the east side of Tracy Boulevard south of the Tracy Municipal Airport in Madera County, California. The field was searched in August 2002 and bone fragments were discovered, but authorities said that the materials were not related to Luis's case.

Officials halted the search a short time later. They stated they did not plan to search again unless they got more specific information as to where the child's remains were.

Katherine pleaded guilty to being an accessory to murder; she admitted helping Krumlinde dispose of Luis's remains after the child was killed. Krumlinde pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and causing great bodily injury to a child and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison.

Luis has never been located.