Wandering the Desert, The Death of Lauren Cho

Written by: Kenzie Desrosiers

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In the fall of 2021, 30-year-old teacher Lauren Cho, otherwise known as El, left New Jersey for a new life. Cho and her then-boyfriend Cody Orell headed west for California where she hoped to follow her dream of becoming a chef. Cho had purchased an old school bus that she planned to convert into a food truck. Meanwhile, Cho and Orell were staying with friends at an Airbnb in Yucca Valley, California.

On June 28, 2021, eight months after traveling cross-country, Cho walked into the California desert with nothing but the clothes on her back, never to be seen again. Roughly fifteen minutes after she left, Orell called 911 stating that Cho may be in mental distress following an argument that happened hours earlier.

According to the Airbnb housekeeper, Traci Cloud, “they had started drinking in the daytime, early in the day…she had drank too much. When she wanted to leave [her then-boyfriend] wouldn’t let her take the vehicle and evidently, that’s when she got upset.” Cloud expressed doubt that there was any foul play on the property.

Police have conducted multiple air and ground searches of the area over the past three months with no leads as to Cho’s whereabouts. Orell believed that Cho may have gotten into someone’s vehicle, stating that the prior day she had met up with an unknown person.

With the lack of information on the case, many have begun to speculate that Orell is responsible for Cho’s disappearance. However, one friends who lived with the couple stated that they had broken up a month prior to her disappearance. Cho was having a harder time with the separation but that didn’t stop them from having dinner every night and joking around. Said friend does not suspect Orell whatsoever. Furthermore, Orell had been nothing but cooperative with the investigation.

“On Saturday, October 9, 2021, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department conducted an additional search and rescue operation in the ongoing search for Lauren Cho, who was reported missing on June 28, 2021,” the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement, adding in an update, “The San Bernardino County Coroner’s Division has positively identified the human remains to be Lauren Cho, 30-year-old resident of New Jersey.”

Cause and manner of death are pending toxicology!