Shari Dee Sampson Elwell: One of Too Many Indigenous Women Taken

In this episode, we’re bringing you the story of Shari Dee Sampson Elwell, a 30-year-old Indigenous woman whose life was stolen far too soon—and whose case remains a powerful reflection of a much larger crisis.

Shari went missing in 1987. For weeks, her loved ones searched, waited, and hoped—until her body was discovered by hunters in a remote, restricted part of the Yakama Reservation near Simcoe Creek in Washington. She had been strangled. Her death became the 13th violent loss of an Indigenous woman on that reservation in just ten years.

But Shari was more than a statistic. She was a mother. A woman who had struggles, yes—but struggles that did not define her worth. Like so many others, she deserved protection. She deserved urgency. She deserved justice.

And the heartbreak didn’t end with her.

Just a few years after Shari’s murder, her father, Donnie Sampson, vanished during a hunting trip. Donnie was a respected community leader—a man serving on the Yakama Tribal Council’s Code of Ethics Committee and reportedly looking into misconduct among tribal leadership. Authorities said he likely got lost in the woods. But his family, especially his son Bruce Sampson, believe something far more sinister happened.

Two devastating tragedies. One family. Still no justice.

In this episode, we’re sharing their story—the pain, the questions, and the resilience that has carried the Sampson family through decades of grief and silence. Because remembering Shari and Donnie isn’t just about looking back. It’s about demanding better now—for them, for their family, and for every Indigenous person whose life has been stolen or silenced.

Say her name. Shari Dee Sampson Elwell.
Because every girl deserves justice.