What happened to Sasha Krause? People Magazine Investigates to revisit tragic killing of Mennonite woman

The shocking disappearance and murder of New Mexico woman Sasha Krause is the subject of the new episode of People Magazine Investigates.

Krause went missing in January 2020 and a month later, her body was found outside Arizona. She was found with a gunshot wound to the head, which was the cause of her death.

Titled The Grudge, the official synopsis of the episode reads:

”Detectives must get creative in order to find their suspect when a Mennonite woman goes missing in January 2020. The forensic evidence retrieved from her body leads them to a dead end.”

Without further ado, read on to find out who Sasha Krause was, and what happened to her on that fateful January evening.

People Magazine Investigates: Who was Sasha Krause?

A Mennonite woman who went missing from New Mexico last month was kidnapped and murdered, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office said. The body of 27-year-old Sasha Krause was found more than 250 miles away, near Flagstaff, Arizona. cnn.it/2T6VnXBA Mennonite woman who went missing from New Mexico last month was kidnapped and murdered, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office said. The body of 27-year-old Sasha Krause was found more than 250 miles away, near Flagstaff, Arizona. cnn.it/2T6VnXB

Sasha Krause was a 27-year-old woman born in Texas and reportedly had six siblings. According to those who knew her well, Krause was a deeply religious woman with a special interest in reading and writing.

When Sasha was 25, she moved to Farmington, New Mexico, and lived in a Mennonite community. At the time of her death, Krause worked at a bookstore in her vicinity and taught Sunday school.

On January 18, 2020, Krause went to Farmington Mennonite Church to gather some books to prepare for the next day’s Sunday school. When she did not return to her room after a while, one of her roommates reported her missing, following which the church authorities informed the police.

An extensive search was launched and police tried to track her down using cell phone records. Her car was found near the church, but she didn’t carry her purse with her. Over the next few weeks, authorities came up with several theories regarding her sudden disappearance.

More than a month later, her body was found in Arizona, with her hands bound with duct tape and a gunshot to her head. The weapon used was a .22 caliber gun. Over the next couple of months, authorities questioned people in her community and others who knew her, but couldn’t come up with any solid leads.

Ultimately, using cell phone records, they managed to nab a 21-year-old US Air Force mechanic named Mark Gooch.

Why did Mark Gooch kill Sasha Krause?

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (@AP) — Jurors hearing the case against US Air Force airman #MarkGooch heard lengthy testimony Friday from a cellphone data expert who mapped the route that Gooch allegedly drove the day a Mennonite woman was kidnapped from northwestern New Mexico.FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (@AP) — Jurors hearing the case against US Air Force airman #MarkGooch heard lengthy testimony Friday from a cellphone data expert who mapped the route that Gooch allegedly drove the day a Mennonite woman was kidnapped from northwestern New Mexico. https://t.co/QeFxXTPuCR

Gooch was charged with kidnapping, murder, and theft. During the trial, the prosecution contended that Gooch harbored a grudge against the Mennonite community. This was further evidenced by text messages exchanged between Mark and his brother Samuel. Samuel also spoke to authorities about Mark’s hatred towards those who believed in the Mennonite faith.

In October 2021, a jury found 22-year-old Mark Gooch guilty of first-degree murder and he was eventually handed a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He additionally received another 5 years for kidnapping.

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Per Oxygen, Krause’s mother penned an emotional letter, wherein she mentioned, ”Sasha was more than our daughter, she was our friend.” A poem that Sasha penned in her late teens was obtained by Oxygen and read during the trial.

It reads:

”If I die young think not the hours wasted I spent preparing for some future day my God is not unrighteous to forget it.”

You can watch People Magazine Investigates – The Grudge on Monday, August 1, 2022.