Federal Audit Reveals Backlog, Unmanageable Workloads in Missing Indigenous Persons Unit

A federal audit found hundreds of pending referrals and failures to connect victims with support services within the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Missing and Murdered Unit, as an Arizona family continues seeking answers about a disappearance dating back more than two decades.

The Interior Department inspector general’s September audit identified 83 open cases and 394 pending referrals as of November 2024. Of those referrals, 284, or 72%, had been received between 2020 and 2023. Auditors identified “unmanageable workloads,” staffing shortages, and the absence of established timeframes for assessing referrals as contributing factors. 

"Under the leadership of President Trump, U.S. Indian Affairs is taking steps to strengthen the MMU, restore accountability and ensure cases receive the attention and support they require and deserve." https://t.co/K9iVvrOX8s

— Indian Affairs (@USIndianAffairs) October 17, 2026

The findings drew renewed attention in Oct. 16 reporting by The Arizona Republic, which examined the family’s concerns in the disappearance of Laverda Sorrell. Her attorney, Darlene Gomez, told the newspaper that Sorrell’s case had been removed from the unit’s website without notifying her or the family.

The FBI continues to list Sorrell as missing and offers up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for her disappearance. According to the bureau, her husband reported that she disappeared July 4, 2002, after he dropped her off at an office in Fort Defiance, Arizona. A family member reported her missing to Navajo police four days later. 

Gomez and Sorrell’s sister, Velina Guy, described difficulties obtaining updates and maintaining contact with investigators, the Republic reported. Guy said the family had continued publicizing Sorrell’s disappearance and seeking resources for searches.

“These families never really know what’s going on with their cases,” Gomez told the newspaper. 

The audit identified specific shortcomings in victim outreach. In eight of 13 applicable cases reviewed, agents had failed to contact victim-services staff as required by the unit’s procedures. Auditors warned that inconsistent referrals could leave victims without case information and services to which they may be entitled. 

Then-Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced the unit’s creation April 1, 2021. The department described it as an expansion of work begun through Operation Lady Justice, the federal task force established in 2019.

The announcement promised additional investigative coordination among tribal authorities, BIA and the FBI, along with support for victims’ families and efforts to prevent active investigations from becoming cold cases. 

As California Globe reported in April, federal authorities announced additional investigative and victim-services resources through Operation Not Forgotten 2026. The deployment included the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office and coordinated work with the Missing and Murdered Unit, tribal law enforcement, and federal prosecutors on unresolved violent crimes. 

The FBI’s April announcement said rotating teams would serve 11 field offices, prioritizing cases involving violence against women and children, including missing and murdered people. Previous deployments had provided investigative support to more than 700 cases, resulting in arrests, federal indictments and the recovery of child victims.

The bureau reported approximately 4,100 open Indian Country investigations at the start of the fiscal year, covering offenses including deaths, child abuse, domestic violence and sexual abuse. That figure covers the FBI’s broader investigative workload and is separate from the referrals examined in the BIA audit. 

The audit found that the Missing and Murdered Unit had 44 employees versus 65 funded positions as of October 2025. It was also found that carryover money initially allocated to the unit had been used to purchase law-enforcement vehicles for other BIA Office of Justice Services agencies.

In a separate Oct. 15 report, FOX 10 Phoenix interviewed two BIA employees who raised concerns about staffing and investigative assignments. One alleged that agents assigned to missing and murdered persons investigations were being used to fill patrol vacancies, taking them away from their primary work.

In a statement published with FOX 10’s coverage, BIA attributed the audit’s deficiencies to management decisions during 2021–2024 and said the Trump administration was working to strengthen staffing, investigative procedures and coordination with other law-enforcement agencies.

The agency said improvements included changes to case intake, stronger investigative protocols and closer partnerships with tribal, federal and state authorities. It also acknowledged that additional work remained on staffing and organizational structure. 

Arizona tribal leaders have also pursued changes to their own criminal-justice systems. In September 2025, California Globe reported that the Gila River Indian Community was considering banishment and tribal disenrollment for members responsible for violent offenses.

The proposed ordinance would authorize hearings to prohibit individuals from entering or residing on tribal lands, with disenrollment available for specified serious crimes, including homicide, aggravated assault, kidnapping and violent sexual offenses.

The proposal followed a public-safety emergency declared by Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis and the imposition of an enhanced curfew for minors. The Globe’s reporting also detailed the death of community elder Karen Peter and Lewis’ announcement that an adult and two minors had been arrested in connection with the case. Tribal officials sought community input on the proposed penalties as residents raised concerns about violence and the justice system’s response. 

In his June 8 response included with the audit, BIA Director Bryan K. Mercier reported completed corrective actions addressing all eight recommendations, including revised intake deadlines, staff training and victim-services documentation. He said officials had reviewed the referrals, with some remaining pending as agent workloads allowed.

The inspector general’s final assessment classified five recommendations as implemented. The backlog recommendation remained resolved but awaiting evidence of implementation. Two staffing recommendations remained unresolved because BIA had not supplied a hiring plan with specific timelines or demonstrated that it had assessed appropriate victim-services staffing. 

For Sorrell’s family, the search continues. The FBI asks anyone with information about her disappearance to contact a local field office or submit a tip online.