By Hero Winsor
Content Warning: mention of abuse, child abuse, transphobia, police
Kit Mora (they/them) is a nonbinary, indigenous 17 year old missing out of Omak, Washington. I interviewed Kit’s adoptive older sister Charlotte Groo, who has been leading the search for her sibling, about the details surrounding Kit’s disappearance.
At the age of 4, Kit and their siblings were removed from the custody of their biological mother, Lorie Sue Nelson, due to abuse and neglect. In June of 2021 Kit went to live with their biological mother. Charlotte encouraged this as Lorie Sue had seemingly cleaned up, and Charlotte thought it might be good for Kit to have a relationship with their mother. Soon after, those close to Kit became concerned with how Lorie Sue was treating Kit. Kit reached out to their friends about how Lorie Sue wasn’t respecting their transgender identity or sexual orientation. Kit also reportedly was the sole caregiver for their younger half-siblings most days.
In November of 2021, Omak police was sent to do a wellness check on Kit Mora by their adoptive family. In one of the first missteps of Omak PD, the officer conveniently had his body cam turned off and left without seeing Kit in person. Reportedly, the officer claimed to have gotten confirmation that Kit was okay from a “dark-haired woman with a baby.” Lori Sue, the dark-haired woman in question, claimed on social media that Kit’s adoptive family had been abusive to Kit. Kit, who had previously been active on social media, suddenly had stopped posting and blocked almost everyone on social media. Assuming that Kit had made these accusations, Kit’s adoptive sister Charlotte Groo was angry at Kit for seemingly lying about something so serious and in a move Charlotte now deeply regrets, she stopped trying to check in on Kit.
Months passed and none of Kit’s friends or family in Yakima were able to make contact with Kit. Kit’s best friend told Charlotte that she was heading to Omak to look for them. Kit wasn’t there. Police again were called and Lori Sue claimed that Kit had run away with a “boyfriend,” and that she had told a cop about it. Lori Sue later changed her story, saying Kit had run away with a girlfriend. Neither of these variations matched up with Kit’s reported identity as aromantic and asexual.
Despite growing concern for Kit’s safety, the Omak PD did not allow a missing person’s report to be made until September of 2022 because Lorie Sue decided to not make a report. Lorie Sue did not have custody of Kit, even though she is Kit’s biological mother, and there are not restrictions on who can make a missing person’s report in the state of Washington. After months, Kit’s grandmother was finally able to make a missing person’s report.
Omak High School, where Kit had been enrolled, also failed to check in on Kit. Kit began to miss school frequently, reportedly because they were taking care of their younger siblings. According to the “Becca Bill” schools are supposed to notify parents of their child’s absences from school and attempt to work with the parents to return the child to school. Instead, Kit was de-enrolled from the Omak School District in January of 2022. According to those close to Kit, they loved school, especially art classes, and it was not like them to completely stop attending.
Lorie Sue had her children taken away for abuse and neglect again in June 2022, the CPS report citing the young children had adult human bite marks in various stages of healing and were caked in dirt. Lorie Sue was also sighted tearing down missing persons posters for Kit. After Lorie Sue left her apartment in Omak, a bloody mattress was recovered at the scene.
Omak PD up until recently has been relatively unhelpful in the search for Kit, although with both public pressure and a new detective, the investigation appears to be picking up traction. Josh Fink, a friend of Lorie Sue’s, reportedly was the last person to see Kit, saying he saw them with two black eyes and handprints around their neck.
In April, Kit will be 18, and will have been missing for over a year. Both being trans and being indigenous carry a greater risk of being the victim of a violent crime, and of course, being overlooked by law enFinding forcement. The Okanogan County Sheriff’s department still refuses to put Kit’s poster on their facebook page. Kit’s family, as well as myself, hope they are still out there and that they will be able to have the safe, supported life they so deserve.If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Kit Mora, contact the Omak, WA police department at 1-509-826-0383. Their case number is K224101.
