It’s been five years to the day since Fauna Frey, a 45-year-old woman from Dexter, Oregon, vanished without a trace in the mountains of Josephine County. Her case remains unsolved; an open wound for her family, a haunting mystery for her community, and a chilling reminder of how quickly someone can disappear.
Fauna was grieving the recent death of her brother, Dallas, when she set off on what her family believes was both a healing trip and a mission to deliver gifts, silver coins inherited from Dallas, to a few friends. But somewhere between motel check-ins and checkouts, something went terribly wrong.
Her Jeep was found months later. She was never seen again.
This is the timeline of Fauna's movements as we know them:
June 19, 2020: Fauna finds her brother unresponsive in his home. She administers CPR, but Dallas succumbs to heart failure, devastating his sister.
June 27, 2020:
Fauna leaves Dexter, Oregon, saying she plans to travel to the Grants Pass area, intending to personally tell at least three of Dallas’ friends in Grants Pass about his passing. She does not bring extra clothing, and sleeps in her Jeep that night.
June 28 (Morning):
10:28 am: Fauna stops at the 76 Station in Creswell.
11:40 am: Stops at the store in Wolf Creek and purchases chicken strips that she would later share with Dallas' friend's dog.
11:45 am - Undetermined time: Fauna spends time with some of Dallas' friends in Wolf Creek.
June 28 (Later that day):
Fauna picks up a hitchhiker (which was very uncharacteristic for her) who later reported that she was picked up near Wilderville Cemetery and taken via Fish Hatchery Road. to a location on or at Cheney Creek Road. The hitchhiker was later cleared of any suspicion in the case.
June 28 (Evening):
5:04 pm: Fauna makes a $25.00 purchase at Chevron in Cave Junction.
7:45-8:20 pm (approx.): Fauna checks into the Super 8 Motel in Grants Pass. She calls her father, sounding distraught and disoriented. She didn't like the hotel, and her father requested that she call him when she'd found better lodging the next night.
8:26-8:50 pm: Fauna purchases toiletries, clothes, and food at Fred Meyer in Grants Pass.
June 28 or 29: It isn't clear where this fits into Fauna's timeline, but it's known that she placed $10 cash into a parking pass envelope at an unstaffed kiosk, signed her name, and dropped it into a park fee receptacle at Fish Hatchery Park (North), Grants Pass. The envelope was later found by staff when the receptacle containing registration envelopes was emptied at 6:30 pm on 6/29.
June 29 (Morning):
8:35 am: Fauna checks out of the motel.
9:44 am: Makes a $200 cash withdrawal from the ATM at Umpqua Bank in Rogue River.
June 29 (Afternoon):
12:39 pm: Fauna makes purchases of outdoor items and active wear at Big 5 Sporting Goods.
1:39 pm: She buys food at Gooseberries (an organic grocery) in Grants Pass.
2:39 pm: Fauna speaks to a clerk on the phone, making a reservation at the Weasku Inn in Grants Pass for the night. The check-in time is 3:00 pm, but Fauna never shows up.
July 5:
Fauna is officially reported missing by her father after not hearing back from her.
September 23:
Her 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee is discovered about 6 miles above the Grave Creek Boat landing. The vehicle is locked and intact. Personal items are inside, including clothes, toiletries, a VHS tape of The Lion King, and a box of dark hair dye. Notably, her cell phone and silver coins are missing.
There was no sign of a struggle at the Jeep. Her father, John Frey, was puzzled by the location; rugged, off-grid, and not a place Fauna would visit alone.
In 2023, John Frey told Newsweek, "Well, we know that she was on Fish Hatchery Road because when she called me the night after she left. She talked to me about the hitchhiker, and giving her a ride. Right in that area is where the saddlebag with her name stamped on it was found. We had a sighting from reputable people who said that they saw Fauna in a white BMW coming out of a driveway on Fish Hatchery. They gave me the address and said that there were some dopers, and they were having a lot of problems with this address. I started checking the place out, so months went by, and this property changed hands twice, so it was sold to new people. The new people called us and said that the saddlebag was left there. They knew from flyers about Fauna, so they said, "this is weird." And it was."
Another strange detail: Fauna had picked up a hitchhiker on June 28, out of character for her, and a possible sign of emotional distress. She had been talking about “angels” and seemed to be in a spiritual or confused state of mind, according to her father. The woman was reportedly interviewed but ruled out by investigators.
Fauna Frey’s saddlebag was torn and repurposed like a purse, possibly used to carry the silver coins she had brought with her. The discovery of the saddlebag was a significant new clue in the case, as it helped narrow down a location tied to her final known intentions and raised questions about whether someone else had handled or discarded it.
To this day, the fingerprints collected from the Jeep have not been publicly disclosed as processed. The community advocates working on Fauna's case are not in a position to discuss the police investigation and its results and appreciate all that law enforcement has done.
John Frey has devoted the last five years to finding his daughter. He’s funded private investigations, offered a $50,000 reward, walked remote trails where no law enforcement searched, and raised public awareness through podcasts, vigils, and media outreach. He describes his daughter as spiritual, intelligent, and sensitive, a woman undone by grief but never reckless.
In interviews, John has stressed that Fauna was not suicidal. She had friends waiting for her. She had thousands of dollars' worth of silver in her possession. She had a purpose.
“She didn’t just walk away,” John said in a 2023 interview. “Something happened out there.”
Fauna’s disappearance has been featured on multiple investigative podcasts, including Nowhere to be Found, Here One Minute, Gone the Next, and Detective Perspective, each trying to fill the silence left by law enforcement. New listeners continue to discover her story, hoping a fresh set of eyes or a single loose memory might be the key to finding Fauna.
Popular theories include:
- Voluntary disappearance
- Accidental death in the wilderness: Plausible, but no body, clothing, or coins have ever turned up.
- Foul play after picking up the hitchhiker: Still on the table.
- Encounter with someone at or near the remote property: The white BMW remains a chilling clue.
Fauna’s case is a reminder of how quickly grief, isolation, and rural law enforcement gaps can collide into tragedy. She is one of dozens of unsolved missing-person cases in Oregon, where tight budgets and tough terrain often mean cases grow cold before they even warm up.
But this one can still be solved.
There are new clues. New interest. And a father who refuses to stop asking questions.
Have Information on Fauna Frey? Please Speak Up!
If you know anything, no matter how small, please contact:
- Josephine County Sheriff’s Office
- Tip line: (541) 359-5638
- Email: [email protected]
Currrently there is a $50,000 CASH REWARD for information leading to the location of Fauna Frey. LARGE CASH REWARDS are being offered for any other relevant information, such as any objects that could be identified as Fauna’s, i.e. her wallet, keys, or Indian/Buffalo .999 silver bullion coins.