An Arizona girl who disappeared at the age of 13 and was thought to be abducted has been discovered alive, living a quiet life as a married mother of three. She is now employed at a private investigations firm, according to recent reports.
Christina “Tina” Marie Plante, who is now 45 years old, resides in Springfield, Missouri—over 1,100 miles from the location where she went missing in 1994. It appears she started a new chapter in her life after leaving her home as a teenager, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The publication reveals that Plante married during her teenage years, raised three sons, and later completed a psychology degree at Missouri State University. She currently holds a supervisory position at a Springfield-based company that specializes in investigating insurance fraud, according to the Daily Mail.
She and her husband of nearly 30 years, Shawn Hollon, who works as a software engineering manager, own a five-bedroom house together.
The Gila County Sheriff’s Office had listed Christina “Tina” Plante as missing and endangered since 1994. Her case was finally resolved in 2026 when she was found alive, much to the relief of those who feared for her safety for decades.
Shawn Hollon shared with the Daily Mail that his wife has been coming to terms with the sudden resurgence of media attention after her identification. He mentioned that she had confided in him about her past before they wed in 1998, although he chose not to disclose specific details to the public.
Authorities say Plante has been reluctant to provide specifics about how she disappeared.
Gila County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jim Lahti told the Daily Mail that Plante has not explained who she was with when she left or how she managed to get out of town. He said she acknowledged running away and indicated she had contact with another family member at the time.
A childhood photo of Christina Plante, who vanished at age 13 in Star Valley, Arizona. Authorities announced in 2026 that she had been found alive more than 30 years after her disappearance. (Gila County Sheriff’s Office)
Plante was last seen around midday on May 15, 1994, leaving her home in Star Valley after telling others she was heading to a nearby horse stable. When she didn’t return, the case was classified as missing and endangered under suspicious circumstances.
Her disappearance prompted an extensive search and years of investigation, with early concerns that she may have been abducted. Those fears were never confirmed, and the case eventually went cold.
Decades later, a cold case team reopened the investigation using modern tools, including social media and public records, ultimately identifying Plante and confirming she was alive.
Gila County Sheriff’s Office deputies stand near the Bar X crossing on Dec. 2, 2019. (Sean Logan/The Republic, Arizona Republic via Imagn)
“I guess she wasn’t happy with where she was living and who she was living with, and she ran away,” cold case investigator Capt. Jamie Garrett told NewsNation.
“I was dumbfounded,” Garrett added. “I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. OK, so you ran away.’ I told her, ‘You know, we were under the impression that somebody kidnapped you. It was deemed a criminal offense.’”
Authorities say the case is now considered resolved.
While many details about how she left remain unclear, officials say Plante has since built a stable life and has chosen to keep much of her past private.
