CA WHISPER OWEN & SANDRA McCARTY: Missing from Fresno / Atwater, CA - 15 July 2025 - Age 36 & 8 months *Found Deceased*

Mother, infant daughter missing after leaving for doctor’s appointment, family says

The search for a mother and her 8-month-old baby in California continues more than a week since they were last seen by family.

www.wwnytv.com

Mother, infant daughter missing after leaving for doctor’s appointment, family says​

The search for a mother and her 8-month-old baby in California continues more than a week since they were last seen by family.

The mother of Whisper Owen said her daughter and granddaughter were in Fresno, California for a doctor’s appointment and on their way back home to Sacramento when they disappeared.

The missing mother’s car was spotted on traffic cameras in Atwater last Tuesday, which is her last known location.

Owen’s mother, Vickie Torres, was the last person to see her daughter and granddaughter before they vanished.

Torres said she does not know why her daughter was in Atwater. She said she believes her daughter and granddaughter are somewhere between Atwater and Sacramento.

“For me to think that now she drove away and I’m not going to see my daughter again because I can’t find her,” Torres said. “Something has happened. Nobody knows.”

Fresno Police said they do not believe the missing mother and baby are in the Fresno area.

“Something happened to my daughter, she didn’t disappear on her own,” Torres said. “She didn’t run away from this family. She didn’t run away from her other children.”

The family is now urging anyone from Atwater to Sacramento to check their security cameras for even a flash of her car’s appearance in the hopes that it could lead to some answers.

Media - WHISPER OWEN & SANDRA McCARTY: Missing from Fresno / Atwater, CA - 15 July 2025 - Age 36 & 8 months

 

[GrandmaBear]

There are vaccination resources very close to where she lived. She didn't have to go 3 hours away just for well baby shots. If I had a warrant out for my arrest, no license and a vehicle that I shouldn't be driving at night, I sure would have sought this info out instead. This is just one of many resources I found near where she lived.

https://dhs.saccounty.gov/PUB/Immun.../Immunization-Assistance-Program-(IAP).aspx[/

Again, if you, if you, what you wo... areas. She was in touch with her mom a lot.

 

[Tresir]

 

[Tresir]

This woman went missing and wasn't found for two months. She was less than a mile from where she went in. She went in to save her sister, and got swept away, her sister was ok.

Body of SoCal woman who jumped in Sequoia National Park river to save sister found

The body of 26-year-old Jomarie Calasanz of Los Angeles, who was swept away by a river in Sequoia National Park over Memorial Day weekend, has been found

abc30.com

 

[GrandmaBear]

The fact that she was so far off the beaten track that late in the day, I’m thinking it could be foul play. But accident isn’t out of reach in my mind, either.

Same two here.

 

[noZme]

ABC7​

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Sacramento mother Whisper Owen, 36, and her 8-month-old daughter, Sandra McCarty, had been missing since July 15. The searchers say Owen made a desperate attempt to save her daughter during the incident. It's not clear what led up to them becoming trapped under the bridge.

 

[noZme]

Missing CA mother and daughter found dead in submerged vehicle 1 month after disappearance

A missing Sacramento mother and her 8-month-old daughter were found dead inside a submerged vehicle, just over a month after they were last seen.

abc7.com

OAKDALE, Calif. -- A missing Sacramento mother and her 8-month-old daughter were found dead inside a submerged vehicle on Sunday, search crews confirmed.

Whisper Owen, 36, and her infant daughter, Sandra McCarty, had been missing since July 15, when Owen drove to see family and go to a doctor's appointment in Fresno, California. Her family said she left in the early evening to head back home to Sacramento.

They were found Sunday inside their 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer, which was discovered submerged in a canal under a bridge on Highway 120 near Oakdale, California.

The discovery was made using sonar technology. The volunteer search team confirmed the bodies of both Owen and Sandra were inside the vehicle.

The searchers say Owen made a desperate attempt to save her daughter during the incident. It's not clear what led up to them becoming trapped under the bridge.

PREVIOUS REPORT: Sacramento mother and her 8-month-old daughter have been missing for over 10 days
Report a correction or typo

 

[noZme]

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Dang it.

 

[Tresir]

Pretty much found right where that last ping was located. RIP Whisper and Sandra.

https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/woman-baby-found-oakdale-canal/

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Local News

‘An oversight’: Whisper Owen’s family says her body’s been found with baby​

by: Isaiah Varela
Posted: Aug 17, 2025 / 11:28 PM PDT
Updated: Aug 17, 2025 / 11:28 PM PDT
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OAKDALE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The San Joaquin Sheriff’s Office confirmed Sunday afternoon that the body of a woman and a baby were found inside a vehicle submerged in a San Joaquin canal.
The vehicle, a 2006 Chevy Trailblazer, matches the description of the SUV 36-year-old Whisper Owen was driving when she disappeared back on July 15 with her baby, Sandra McCarty.
Whisper Owen’s vehicle recovered in Oakdale, divers say
Owen, who lived in Sacramento, was in Fresno for a doctor’s appointment and to visit family. She left Fresno around 5 p.m. that evening and was last seen on traffic cameras in oakdale.
With tears, hugs, and visible heartbreak, the family of 36-year-old Whisper Owen and baby Sandra McCarty stood by as Whisper’s SUV was pulled from a San Joaquin canal at Road 120 and Victory Avenue in Oakdale.
“The fact that we know where they are and we don’t have to wonder for ten years, 20 years for the rest of our lives if something horrible happened or if they’re okay,” said Richard Owen, Whisper’s brother.
The 2006 Chevy Trailblazer with the broken headlight was found pinned underwater in the canal.
“So our dispatch was notified this morning that a nonprofit dive group contacted them to let them know that a vehicle matching the description of a missing person’s vehicle out of Fresno was located in this area,” said Heather Brent with the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office.
Two bodies were found inside; the identifications of those bodies are pending.
“Our office responded and our dive team responded. And they did locate one adult in the vehicle and one infant in the vehicle,” said Brent. “At this time, we cannot confirm any identification. It’ll be handed over to the medical examiner’s office. And as far as any of the investigation will be with the Fresno Police Department.”
But Richard Owen says he’s certain the bodies found inside are his sister and niece.
“This is simply an oversight. I hope that nobody else has to experience this,” he said.
Owen expressed his frustration for the lack of urgency from law enforcement.
“We live in a day and age where everything is technology-based. Everything is, I mean, you can’t do anything nowadays without it being tracked, without it being monitored, without it being recorded,” he expressed.
He said no family should go through what they went through.
“There’s no reason why it should have taken 30-something days in order for my sister and my niece to be found,” Owen said.
A non-profit dive group along with the search group Adventures with Purpose, used sonar technology to locate the submerged vehicle after authorities confirmed a cell phone ping in the area.
“Angels Recovery Dive team is a non-profit that we started a year ago,” said Juan Heredia with Angels Recovery Dive Team.
Heredia was one of the divers who assisted with the search and said he does this to help bring closure to families.
“Basically, what we do is recovery of sons and daughters that are missing in the water,” he said.
Fresno Police will be leading the investigation to find out what happened the night she went missing and how she ended up in the canal.

 

[Tresir]

This article confirms it is Whisper and Sandra. Also a GFM is linked in the article for funeral expenses and is already 71% funded.

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/west/missing-california-mother-and-baby-found-dead-in-suv-submerged-in-water/

Donate to Support Whisper and Sandra's Farewell, organized by Richard Owen

Hi my name is Richard little Brother to Whisper Owen and uncle to a beautiful 8 mon… Richard Owen needs your support for Support Whisper and Sandra's Farewell

www.gofundme.com

 

[Tresir]

Looking at the pictures and video of the canal upthread appear to show no barriers on the road either side of that canal.

 

[RoundPeg]

Well, heartbreaking.

 

[Kimster]

Missing CA mother and daughter found dead in submerged vehicle 1 month after disappearance

A missing Sacramento mother and her 8-month-old daughter were found dead inside a submerged vehicle, just over a month after they were last seen.

abc7.com

OAKDALE, Calif. -- A missing Sacramento mother and her 8-month-old daughter were found dead inside a submerged vehicle on Sunday, search crews confirmed.

Whisper Owen, 36, and her infant daughter, Sandra McCarty, had been missing since July 15, when Owen drove to see family and go to a doctor's appointment in Fresno, California. Her family said she left in the early evening to head back home to Sacramento.

They were found Sunday inside their 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer, which was discovered submerged in a canal under a bridge on Highway 120 near Oakdale, California.

The discovery was made using sonar technology. The volunteer search team confirmed the bodies of both Owen and Sandra were inside the vehicle.

The searchers say Owen made a desperate attempt to save her daughter during the incident. It's not clear what led up to them becoming trapped under the bridge.

PREVIOUS REPORT: Sacramento mother and her 8-month-old daughter have been missing for over 10 days
Report a correction or typo

That’s just heartbreaking. I can’t even think about it and how she tried to save her baby.

 

[Tresir]

This short video (2.5 minutes) has a part with her brother plus additional from the guy who runs the sonar rescue. It appears that LE had searched this area earlier but missed them.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I rarely lean towards a child, veh0icle or adult in the water. I don't exclude it but don't jump to it. In this one, it really seemed the most likely though. There were absolutely no red flags or hints of foul play. She was caring of the baby, taking her to the appt., diapering her, feeding her, buying the needs for her. She had good visits with her mom and brother. A full but good day it seemed. She headed home and was progressing there. While there was a bf, there were no hints they didn't get along and in fact Whisper had said they'd just had a good trip together Just nothing there really. No hints of trouble or being pulled over or anything on the way home.

What a sad outcome though after I'd say a full but good day.

I think I went into all links and can't find what they mean that she made a desperate attempt to save the child? Is there more on that somewhere?

I do wonder how the vehicle got stuck but I don't suspect anything, just wanting more info if they get such.

 

[Kimster]

I was wrong with my main theory on this one. And usually I will strongly consider water when they haven’t found the car yet. I don’t know why I didn’t go there with my mind. Plus, I know darn good and well there are irrigation canals all over the Central Valley! Just shows that detectives can’t go down with just one theory and be done with it.

Do you think only having one headlight made it harder for her to see in the dark? I don’t drive around with one headlight so I really don’t know.

 

[Tresir]

I rarely lean towards a child, veh0icle or adult in the water. I don't exclude it but don't jump to it. In this one, it really seemed the most likely though. There were absolutely no red flags or hints of foul play. She was caring of the baby, taking her to the appt., diapering her, feeding her, buying the needs for her. She had good visits with her mom and brother. A full but good day it seemed. She headed home and was progressing there. While there was a bf, there were no hints they didn't get along and in fact Whisper had said they'd just had a good trip together Just nothing there really. No hints of trouble or being pulled over or anything on the way home.

What a sad outcome though after I'd say a full but good day.

I think I went into all links and can't find what they mean that she made a desperate attempt to save the child? Is there more on that somewhere?

I do wonder how the vehicle got stuck but I don't suspect anything, just wanting more info if they get such.

The video I just posted shows them actually pulling the car out and the sun roof looks to be part open so maybe that's what they meant. You can also see the low bridge the car must have been stuck under. Also, there was a ton of rain all over in mid July so the canal levels may have been higher and hidden the car initially.

I am just glad she had that vacation with her partner and time with her family too and am pretty sure the floodings over that weekend were part of the cause of this accident and the delay finding them.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I was wrong with my main theory on this one. And usually I will strongly consider water when they haven’t found the car yet. I don’t know why I didn’t go there with my mind. Plus, I know darn good and well there are irrigation canals all over the Central Valley! Just shows that detectives can’t go down with just one theory and be done with it.

Do you think only having one headlight made it harder for her to see in the dark? I don’t drive around with one headlight so I really don’t know.

I'd like to hear more on this. I'd like to know how dark it was, was she in an area/a city with lights on? Things like that. I think such would make a difference. Were there lights along the canal so people could see it?

I'm no expert but I'd say if you were in a town or city and one of your headlights suddenly went out, you would not notice a thing. if you were on a country road, yo might notice things are a bit dimmer but not sure you'd put it together as there still is one headlight and light.

There is also the possibility she fell asleep at the wheel although I somehow doubt it. At her age, I could burn the candle at both ends easily and we have no indication she did not have a good night's sleep and this was simply a long day, not days or anything, she should have been fine that way.

All jmo of course.

 

[GrandmaBear]

The video I just posted shows them actually pulling the car out and the sun roof looks to be part open so maybe that's what they meant. You can also see the low bridge the car must have been stuck under. Also, there was a ton of rain all over in mid July so the canal levels may have been higher and hidden the car initially.

I am just glad she had that vacation with her partner and time with her family too and am pretty sure the floodings over that weekend were part of the cause of this accident and the delay finding them.

So maybe trying to lift the child through it, above water, probably hoping someone would see her. So very sad. I'd like to know how deep these man made canals are.

 

[Tresir]

So maybe trying to lift the child through it, above water, probably hoping someone would see her. So very sad. I'd like to know how deep these man made canals are.

Well this canal hid her car so has to be at least 6 foot deep and probably more. It also appeared to be raining in that last video we saw of her car being driven with one headlight on.

Also there is a risk your one headlight could fail as you are driving, which could have happened and caused the crash too.