REMEMBERING OUR SISTERS: THE CASE OF IDA JOANNE BEARD

EL RENO — For this week's Remembering Our Sisters, we wanted to share the story of a woman whose disappearance has become one of the most well-known MMIW cases in Oklahoma. Her case not only drew attention across the entire country, but it also helped bring about changes in Oklahoma legislation through the passage of Ida's Law.

Our goal isn't just to talk about what happened to Ida. It's to honor who she was and share her story in hopes that maybe, somewhere out there, someone remembers something that could possibly help bring her home.

According to Red Road Echoes on YouTube, Ida Joanne Beard grew up surrounded by a loving and devout Christian family. Ida was a proud member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. She was the daughter of Rebecca and Donnie Beard and was raised in El Reno alongside her three siblings. Growing up, her father reportedly formed the Beard Family gospel singing group, and the family spent years traveling to Native American churches throughout Oklahoma, singing gospel music and sharing their faith.

Those who knew Ida described her as shy, kind, caring, and always willing to help others. She volunteered in her community, taught Sunday School, and was deeply devoted to her family. Ida was also the mother of four daughters and lived with her mother. Many people described her as her mother's keeper because she was always looking after her and making sure she had what she needed. From everything we've learned, Ida was the kind of person who put others before herself.

Ida was only 29 years old when she disappeared. She was so young and full of life, and sadly, that was taken not only from her, but also from her children and all those who loved her.

According to multiple reports online, June 30th, 2015, started out like any other normal day. Ida had let her mother know that she was going to walk down the block to visit with some friends for a bit. And as the hours passed and Ida still hadn't come home, her mother became very worried. It wasn't like Ida to not come back home, let alone not let her family know where she was. And like any mother or parent in her shoes would do, she contacted the authorities almost immediately.

According to what has been reported by several media outlets, investigators initially considered the possibility that Ida may have left on her own. That's something investigators often have to consider when an adult is reported missing. But as the days passed and Ida still didn't return home, it became harder and harder to believe that was what had happened. Reports indicate that a formal missing persons investigation was not launched until July 15th, more than two weeks after Ida was last seen. And that's the part that's hard for us to stomach. Two whole weeks...

Why did it take that long? We don't know. We weren't there, and we haven't found any public explanation that helps answer that question. But what we do know is that for Ida's family, those two weeks were spent worrying and wondering where she was, and hoping that she would walk back through the door.

By that point, very little was known about what had happened to her. In fact, one of the only details that has been the same over the years is that Ida was reportedly last seen leaving a friend's house and was believed to be walking back home. Somewhere along that short time, she vanished. More than a decade later, nobody has been able to publicly provide answers as to what happened next.

But Ida's family never gave up on her, and they helped bring about real change at the legislative level. Even after all these years, they continued to keep Ida's name alive and continued fighting for answers. That kind of determination deserves a tremendous amount of respect.

And because it took so long for an official missing persons investigation to be finally launched, Ida's cousin, LaRenda, became Ida's voice and worked alongside Oklahoma lawmakers to help bring about Ida's Law in 2021.

In simple terms, Ida's Law created a liaison position within the OSBI dedicated to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons cases. The law also directs the OSBI to work alongside federal agencies to improve communication, coordination, and information sharing when these cases occur.

At its core, Ida's Law was created to help ensure that other families don't have to go through the same delays, uncertainty, and frustration that Ida's family experienced.

And, we are sad to report that to this day, Ida's case remains unsolved.

If you have any information at all about her disappearance, please contact the OSBI. After more than a decade of unanswered questions, her family is still searching for answers and still waiting for the day they can finally bring Ida home.

Ida was a daughter, a mother, a sister, and a friend. She was loved by many people, and she is still deeply missed today.

As we continue researching these unsolved cases, stories like Ida's stay with us long after we're done writing and weigh heavily on our hearts. We can only hope that one day her family receives the answers they have spent so many years searching for.

Until then, we will continue to remember Ida and share her story.

Note: The information contained in this article was gathered from publicly available sources due to the ongoing nature of this case. The Untold Chronicle has made every effort to verify the information presented; however, some details are based on publicly reported accounts and may change as new information becomes available.