Maria Cecilia Gaminde

• Missing Since 12/16/2023
• Missing From DeBary, Florida
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race Asian
• Date of Birth 07/13/1979 (47)
• Age 44 years old
• Height and Weight 5'0, 120 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics Asian female. Black hair, brown eyes.

Details of Disappearance

Maria's last known activity was in December 2023; she and her three young sons visited Disney World on December 16 and her fingerprints were used to enter the park. Her family reported her missing in January 2024. At the time of her disappearance, she worked as a paraprofessional at University High School in Orange City, Florida and lived with her husband in DeBary.

Her husband, Epifanio IX Ramos Gaminde, told police she had left DeBary of her own accord and was living in the Philippines, but the police were suspicious and said texts and other communications supposedly from Maria from overseas didn't appear to be authentic. Epifanio had previously been arrested twice for domestic violence. He had emigrated to the U.S. with Maria on her visa in 2008. He could have been deported if she had divorced him.

In October 2026, Epifanio was charged with first-degree murder in his wife's disappearance. A photo of him is posted with this case summary. He is awaiting trial.

Investigators determined that Epifanio's niece in the Philippines was pretending to be Maria. The niece has not been charged in Maria's case and is cooperating with the investigation. She stated Maria's documents, including her driver's license and credit cards, were emailed to her and she was instructed to go shopping with the cards in the Philippines and in Japan. This was in order to create the impression that Maria was alive and didn't want to be in touch with her family, friends or police.

Investigators believe Maria's body may be in the couple's yard; Epifanio was reportedly doing a lot of work in the backyard around the time of Maria's disappearance. Foul play is suspected in her case due to the circumstances involved.