MOSES LAKE — The body of Yanira Cedillos has been recovered in a remote area in Walla Walla County, more than two months after her murder and disappearance in Moses Lake on March 4.
Last Thursday, detectives received information on updated cellphone data from the phone of Juan Gastelum, showing his phone tracked to a remote area off Highway 12, just outside of Wallula Junction. Police say his phone was tracked at the location for several minutes the morning Cedillos went missing.
Detectives searched the area Thursday morning and found a deceased female in a sleeping bag, covered in tree limbs and leaves. At the time, detectives could not identify the body as Cedillos.
The body was transported to the Spokane County Medical Examiner where an autopsy was completed on Monday. The medical examiner was able to identify the body as Cedillos.
Cedillos' sister issued the following statement Monday afternoon:
Our lives have been a living nightmare since Yanira disappeared, but today we received the news we had been praying for. Yanira has been found and is coming home. Life will never be the same and we don't know how we will move on without her especially her kids, but we find comfort knowing that she is resting and God will walk us through the painful days ahead. Yanira my sweet sister rest and know that we will take care of your babies. We will hold you in our hearts until we can hold you in our arms again. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to the entire community, family, friends and news media, for the support these last two months. A special thank you to the entire Moses Lake Police Department for never giving up and keeping their promise to not rest until Yanira was home.
“Our thoughts and prayers got out to Yanira’s family and friends,” Moses Lake police stated. “Although the outcome is not what anyone wanted, it brings us comfort that we were able to find Yanira and bring her back to her family.”
Gastelum remains held in Umatilla County, Oregon jail pending extradition back to Grant County. He is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree rape.