The Mysterious Disappearance of Karlie Gusé: An Unsolved California Tragedy

On the morning of October 13, 2018, 16-year-old Karlie Gusé vanished under chilling and mysterious circumstances in Chalfant Valley, California. The high school student had been acting paranoid the night before, which led her father and stepmother to suspect she had smoked marijuana laced with a stronger substance. Despite their efforts to monitor her and ease her anxiety, Karlie slipped out of the house in the early hours and was never seen again. The case has left investigators baffled, while her devastated family continues to search for answers in a case filled with heartbreak, speculation, and unanswered questions.

Who Was Karlie Gusé?

Karlie Lain Gusé was born on May 13, 2002, and led what seemed to be a typical life for a teenager in Bishop, California. Her parents divorced when she was two years old, and she spent much of her childhood living with her mother, Lindsay Fairley. Eventually, Karlie moved in with her father, Zachary Gusé, and his wife, Melissa, in Chalfant Valley, about 14 miles north of Bishop.

Described by her peers as quiet, sweet, and well-liked, Karlie had a close relationship with her siblings and a steady group of friends. She was a student at Bishop Union High School, and to the outside world, her life seemed normal. However, in the weeks leading up to her disappearance, there were subtle signs that Karlie was experiencing inner turmoil.

Karlie had reportedly experimented with marijuana on several occasions and had adverse reactions, including episodes of paranoia. She had confided in friends that she feared being “tracked” through her phone, and this anxiety seemed to be growing. Though concerning, her behavior hadn’t raised major red flags for her family—until the night of October 12, 2018.

The Party That Changed Everything

On the night before Karlie disappeared, she attended a small party with her boyfriend, Donald Arrowood III, and a few friends. The gathering seemed harmless enough at first, but Karlie soon began to act strangely. According to Arrowood, she became intensely paranoid after smoking marijuana, growing fearful of the music at the party and even of him.

At approximately 8 p.m., Karlie called her stepmother, Melissa, in a state of panic, begging to be picked up. Recognizing the urgency in her stepdaughter’s voice, Melissa quickly drove to the party. However, when she arrived, Karlie had already left and was found running down a dark lane, visibly upset. Melissa managed to get Karlie into the car, but the girl’s paranoia continued to worsen during the drive home.

A Frightened Night at Home

Once back at their Chalfant Valley home, Karlie’s agitation only intensified. She expressed irrational fears, switching seats multiple times inside the car and voicing concerns that the vehicle was going to harm her. Convinced that the marijuana Karlie had smoked was laced with something more potent, Zachary and Melissa tried to soothe her while closely monitoring her behavior.

They even decided to record a conversation with Karlie, believing it would help demonstrate the dangers of drug use to her once she had calmed down. The audio, which runs for 8 minutes and 45 seconds, captures the depths of Karlie’s distress. At one point, Karlie tearfully admits,

“I really messed up today,”

to which Melissa responds,

“We all do things in life that we regret. Drugs especially.”

As the conversation continues, Karlie’s paranoia becomes more pronounced. She accuses Melissa of wanting to kill her, to which Melissa calmly replies,

“That’s preposterous.”

But Karlie’s fear doesn’t subside. She sobs,

“I’m just thinking all this demonic stuff. I can’t help it.”

The Vanishing

According to Melissa’s initial account, she last checked on Karlie at 5:45 a.m. on October 13, 2018. When she returned to her room around 7:15 a.m., Karlie was gone. Melissa later revised this version, claiming she had stayed in Karlie’s room all night but woke up around 7 a.m. to find her missing. Regardless of the exact timeline, it became clear that at some point during the early morning hours, Karlie had left the house.

A frantic search ensued. Zachary and Melissa scoured their property and the surrounding neighborhood but found no trace of Karlie. After two hours of searching, they called Karlie’s mother, Lindsay Fairley, and filed a missing persons report with the Mono County Sheriff’s Office.

The Search Efforts and Witness Accounts

As soon as authorities were alerted, search teams were dispatched to look for Karlie. In the days following her disappearance, several witnesses came forward with potential sightings of the teenager. One neighbor reported seeing her walking down the road with a piece of paper in her hand, staring up at the sky. Another witness said they saw her walking toward Highway 6, also holding a piece of paper. A final witness claimed to have spotted Karlie near some sagebrush alongside the highway.

Despite these witness accounts and extensive search efforts involving helicopters, drones, and K-9 units, no significant evidence was found. Search dogs managed to track Karlie’s scent to the area where the last witness had seen her, but after that, the trail went cold. No items of Karlie’s, such as the piece of paper mentioned by witnesses, were ever found, and she seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Theories and Speculation

With no leads or breakthroughs, numerous theories have emerged about what could have happened to Karlie Gusé. Some suggest she may have wandered deeper into the desert, succumbing to the harsh and unforgiving conditions. Dressed in either sweatpants or jeans, a white t-shirt, and Vans, Karlie was not equipped to survive the freezing morning temperatures or the scorching heat of the desert day. It is possible that she became disoriented and lost, perishing in the wilderness.

Another theory posits that Karlie may have been picked up by a passing vehicle as she walked along Highway 6. Given the remoteness of the area and the lack of concrete evidence, this possibility remains plausible, though no credible leads have surfaced to support it.

Some have even speculated about foul play involving her stepmother, Melissa, especially since Melissa’s story about the morning Karlie disappeared has changed. In 2019, Karlie’s biological mother, Lindsay Fairley, publicly voiced her suspicion that Karlie may have died from an overdose and that Melissa and Zachary covered it up. However, both Zachary and Melissa passed polygraph tests, and no physical evidence has ever implicated them in Karlie’s disappearance.

The FBI’s Involvement and Current Status of the Case

The FBI has been actively involved in Karlie’s case, working closely with local authorities. Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan has repeatedly emphasized that the case remains open and that the FBI is committed to finding answers.

“People don’t disappear into thin air,”

Ragan said in a statement, urging anyone with information to come forward.

To encourage new leads, the FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of those responsible for Karlie’s disappearance. Despite this incentive, no significant tips have come in, and the case has stalled.

A Family’s Unending Grief

For Karlie’s family, the pain of not knowing what happened to her is unbearable. Zachary, in particular, has expressed profound anguish over his daughter’s disappearance. In an interview with the FBI, he said,

“My whole body and soul. I’d give it all up, just to have her home safe.”

As the years pass, the mystery of Karlie Gusé’s disappearance continues to haunt her loved ones. Although search efforts have quieted, the hope of finding Karlie has not diminished. Until new information emerges, the case will remain an unsolved mystery, a dark cloud hanging over the Chalfant Valley.