Katherine Mary Neitzke

• Missing Since 06/22/2019
• Missing From Romoland, California
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Date of Birth 08/04/1987 (37)
• Age 31 years old
• Height and Weight 5'3, 200 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description Possibly gold rings on all her fingers.
• Associated Vehicle(s) SUV
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Neitzke has a small tattoo in the corner of her eye, a tattoo on her upper arm at the shoulder, and a tattoo of the words "Live, Laugh, Love" on her upper chest just below her collarbone. Photos of some her tattoos are posted with this case summary. Her ears are pierced. Neitke's nickname is Kat, and she may use the last name Fisher.

Details of Disappearance

Neitzke was last seen in Romoland, California on July 25, 2019. She lived in the 29600 block of Mapes Road in Romoland, in a barn which had been converted into a living space.

On the day of her disappearance, she placed a frantic call to a friend, asking her to "please just come" and get her. She said she would call her friend back, but she never did. She has never been heard from again. Her sister-in-law reported her missing in December of that year.

In January 2022, Neitzke's boyfriend, Hugo Leonel Hernandez, was arrested and charged with her murder. A friend of his, Edilberto "Eddie" Avena, who was also dating Hernandez's sister, was charged with being an accessory to murder. A photo of Hernandez is posted with this case summary.

Avena had told police he helped Hernandez dispose of Neitzke's body after Hernandez strangled her to death. He said they wrapped it in a carpet, loaded it into Avena's SUV, drove to the Lake Elsinore, California area and dumped the body in a wooded area over the side of Ortega Highway. Twice, Avena went with investigators to the area to look for it, but they were unable to find it.

In 2023, Avena pleaded guilty to being an accessory to murder after the fact and was sentenced to two years of probation. In May 2024, after a ten-day trial, Hernandez was convicted of Nietzke's murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Neitzke's body has never been found, but foul play is suspected due to the circumstances involved.