Missing and Wanted: One Year Later—Where Is Marlane Koue?

It's been more than a year since Maya Koue has spoken with her mother. 

A year of anguish. A year of not knowing what has happened to the parent she talked to by phone from her Northern California home several times a day.

Marlane Koue was 54 when she vanished without a trace Oct. 1, 2012. According to news reports, she was last seen about 6:15 p.m. that day at Pizza Port in Carlsbad. Authorities say there has been no activity on her cell phone or bank accounts since then, nor has she turned up.

Koue was living on Larchwood Drive in Oceanside and estranged from her husband, Sergio Eric Castanada, 23, when she disappeared. Court documents reveal a troubled relationship between the two, with divorce proceedings and restraining orders alleging violence here and in Texas. Koue also had a three-year restraining order against Castaneda's grandfather, accusing the 82-year-old man of physical abuse.

Marlane Koue worked as an advocate for special needs children. She is 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds, and has red hair and brown eyes. She was last seen driving her beige Dodge Grand Caravan, which has California license plate 4SHU678.

Those with information about Marlane Koue are urged to contact the Oceanside Police Department: 

— 760-435-4944
—Sgt. Matt Christensen at 760-435-4639 during work hours
— 760-435-4911 after hours

About this series:

Scores of cases throughout San Diego County go unsolved by local law enforcement investigators each year. A teen thought to be a runaway has still not come home. A dangerous parolee goes missing. A parent in a custody dispute kidnaps the children. A family member who is homeless and mentally ill disappears off the street. A loved one is murdered and there are few clues or no suspect.

No matter what the circumstances, police and relatives continue to search for those who are missing and wanted. They want the son, sister, or husband home. They want justice for the victims of crimes. They want the bad guys behind bars.

Each day in October, our Patch sites will feature a different person who is missing and wanted in San Diego County. Look at their pictures. Have you seen them? Do you have information that might help them be located?

Each profile will have a phone number for you to call to provide information. Let’s help investigators close these cases!