FARMINGTON – A motorcade will escort family members of U.S. Army veteran Cecelia B. Finona to Shiprock after their remains arrive in Albuquerque on July 19.
Finona had not been seen since May 30, 2019 when family members spoke to the 59-year-old at her home in Farmington. She has been missing for over two years.
The Farmington Police Department reported this month that her remains were identified by DNA in June after they were found in Clark County, Nevada.
Her friend Jerry Jay was charged with murder and kidnapping on July 2. Jay was the person interested in the investigation based on evidence found in Finona’s house.
More:Public defenders in the south of NM are sounding the alarm amid process overload
Jay was arrested on separate charges on June 5, 2019 by the Sparks Police Department in Nevada, where he was in custody on July 2, according to the Daily Times archives.
According to Finona’s family, the flight that delivers her body will arrive at the Albuquerque International Sunport on the morning of July 19.
The motorcade leaves the airport at around 10:15 a.m. and continues on US Highway 550, arriving at Farmington in the early afternoon.
The group will continue on US Highway 64 and end at the Desert View Funeral Home in Shiprock.
The Navajo Hopi Honor Riders will lead the motorcade on July 19th. You will accompany the family to the funeral in Farmington the next day.
The police will help with the escort, according to the Navajo Hopi Honor Riders Facebook page.
Finona served 31 years in the Army and retired as a master sergeant, according to the Daily Times archives.
She said in a March 20, 2019 interview that she was stationed across the country and abroad, working in a variety of roles, and raising a daughter, Julietta Faria and a son, Randy Finona.
She was a member of the Veterans Organization in Sanostee, where she was a registered chapter member.
More:Man who killed a passenger in a DWI crash in 2018 is sentenced to three years in prison
“As days, weeks, and months turned into years, it would have been easy to give up and lose all hope. The support, encouragement, and prayers from family and ward members have enabled us to move on,” Finona’s family said in a statement to The Daily times.
It continues: “They say that the size of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members, and this journey proves that it is true. We feel truly honored, humble, and eternally grateful for all of her friends, colleagues, and family who she turned to us to honor our mother and bring her home. “
Noel Lyn Smith reports on the Navajo Nation for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4636 or by email at [email protected].
Support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Daily Times.
Comments are closed.