Missing Since: 1974-02-20 Location: Pine Ridge, South Dakota
Delema disappeared from Pine Ridge, South Dakota on February 20, 1974. She and another twelve-year-old girl left Delema’s home near Ogallala and were walking a back road from Oglala to Manderson, near the Red Cloud Indian School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Temperatures were below zero at the time. Delema’s friend turned back after her hands and feet got frostbitten, but Delema continued towards Manderson. She never arrived at her destination and has never been heard from again. She was a student at the Seventh Day Adventist School between Ogalala and Pine Ridge at the time of her disappearance. Authorities believe Delema is deceased, but her body has never been found and the circumstances of her disappearance are unclear. Investigating Agency Pine Ridge Police Department 605-867-8127 Source Information Justice for Native Women Missing and Murdered Natives Missing & Endangered NW Missouri & Surrounding Areas The Rapid City Journal The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated May 4, 2025; age-progression added.