April 18 search for Roy Prifogle and more info on Lydia ‘Dia’ Abrams

Update April 17: Kendra Johnson, Roy Prifogle’s daughter, updated her Facebook page regarding tomorrow’s (Sunday, April 18) search: “*4/17/21 Daddy’s search (Roy Prifogle Missing Hiker)*For the search tomorrow, the SAR [search and rescue] teams have requested that any volunteers from town search east of the 243, as shown in the photo. This is far from where Daddy went missing, so I think it would be most beneficial if anyone that wants to search would go out on a different day. While the SAR teams are searching tomorrow, they don’t want any inference or anything with the area they are searching. They want to avoid anyone else getting lost or injured and they also want to make things as uncomplicated as possible for their search. I’m sorry that they had given me a different directive before, but I talked to them recently and this is how they want the search handled now. Thank you so much to everyone that does want to search or has searched before. If you look at my other posts about Daddy it’ll show you the best place to go searching if you desire. Remember to stay safe and thank you again.”

As of April 12, four people still remain officially missing in or around the Idyllwild area. Lydia “Dia” Abrams, Melissa Lane, Roy Prifogle, and Diana Perez Gonzalez. 

Last week, we received updated information about the April 18 search for Roy Prifogle in the Pine Cove area where Prifogle went missing over a year ago. Prifogle’s daughter Kendra Johnson posted the information on her Facebook page.

As of print time, no updates on the exact location of the search have been provided. In the post, however, it states those who would like to volunteer are able to go out at any time.

“I am always happy to hear that others want to find him,” Johnson wrote. “My family and I would love for anyone to go out hiking on April 18th. Make sure to bring water, good shoes and a buddy. We don’t want more people getting lost! Once again, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone that wants to help us find some answers.”

David Gotfredson, investigative producer with News Channel 8 out of San Diego, has come across some new information regarding Dia Abrams and her self-proclaimed fiancé Keith Harper.

Gotfredson wrote in his most recent story on April 5, “… Keith Harper filed a petition in Riverside County court March 22, asking a judge to appoint him successor trustee to the Abrams estate, as spelled out in the trust agreement. Harper’s petition included a copy of the entire trust agreement, which previously had not been made public.”

The updated trust was revised just weeks before Abrams went missing and that her adult children, Crisara Abrams and Clinton Abrams of La Jolla, were to be excluded as beneficiaries.

“The amended trust named Harper as both trustee and beneficiary of the estate, in the event of Abrams’ death or incapacitation,” Gotfredson wrote. Further into the story Gotfredson wrote, ”Abrams’ amended trust names a second alternate trustee and secondary beneficiary in the event of Harper’s death: Diana Fedder. Fedder is a former neighbor of Abrams, who helped the missing woman manage her estate and list it on Airbnb for short-term rentals.”

On March 9, Abrams’ children filed a petition attempting to remove Harper as the trustee, claiming he is unfit to serve. Gotfredson reports the children’s attorneys argued, “the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is investigating Mr. Harper as a potential perpetrator of the crime or crimes that led to [Abrams’] disappearance.” And he reports the petition states, “Given Mr. Harper’s potential involvement in [Abrams’] disappearance, his breaches of fiduciary duty, and his criminal history, he is unfit to serve as trustee and there is a significant risk of loss if he is not suspended and removed.”

According to Gotfredson’s story, Harper’s attorney Dennis Healey believes there are multiple people being investigated for Abrams’ disappearance and upholds that Harper should take over as Abrams wished. 

Healy said, “Dia did the trust. She knew what she was doing. The document speaks for itself and the document has not been set aside. So, we think that her wishes should be honored at this point.”
Both petitions will be in a Palm Springs probate court in separate hearings in May. 

Four people remain missing
Eight people have gone missing in the area since March of last year and four remain missing.

On Sept. 10, an RCSD SUV was spotted hauling an off-road vehicle near Highway 243 and Saunders Meadow Road.

The newspaper was told, “They were conducting follow-up searches for Melissa Lane.”

While it was unclear exactly where on the mountain deputies were searching for Lane, it was also confirmed that the search didn’t provide any further information or evidence of where Lane may have gone missing.

Lane, 41 at the time she went missing, was last seen June 15, according to a poster that was displayed in the Mountain Center area. The Town Crier spoke to Kathy Lamont, Lane’s mother, right after she was reported missing.

“She was an avid hiker but didn’t have a destination,” Lamont said. “She was last seen in Pine Cove. I don’t know if she’s dead or alive.”

In December 2020, Lane’s cousin Todd Gilliland told the Town Crier, “I miss her a lot. I wish we would get some kind of word about her. It’s nerve racking.”

Outside of the search for Lane, the community has not received any updates on the other three missing people. Friends, family and the community have been left in the dark.

Prifogle was reported missing after going on a hike in the Pine Cove area Wednesday, March 4, 2020. He left home at about 1 p.m. and was last seen at the Pine Cove Market at 6:30 p.m. the same day. He was last seen wearing a red backpack and jeans.

RCSD Deputy Jeremy Parsons said, “After six full days of searching in between inclement weather, searching 8 to 10 hours per day, Prifogle has not been located. The Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit (RMRU), as well as search and rescue volunteers from San Bernardino County, Orange County and San Diego County, were assisting. In total, about 150 people have been searching during those six days.” Also adding, “On the second or third day of the search, we found his backpack, but have found no other clues as to his whereabouts.”

On Sunday, June 7 at approximately 8:24 a.m., Hemet Station deputies were dispatched to the 58000 block of Bonita Vista in reference to a missing person. Abrams was placed into the system as a missing person.

Abrams was 65 years old at the time she went missing. She is 5’ 5” tall, 130 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a black and turquoise jacket, yellow shirt and blue jeans.

On June 6, Abrams was last seen by her self-proclaimed live-in boyfriend/fiancé Keith Harper at her ranch in Apple Canyon (between Mountain Center and Garner Valley). Since the initial search efforts eight months ago, the RCSD has not provided new information or updates regarding her disappearance despite weekly inquiries from the Town Crier. 

Gotfredson has also been following the case since the beginning. In a previous broadcast, Gotfredson reported that News 8 and drone pilot Steve Jensen made their way out to Grand Wash Cliffs in Arizona to do some searching of their own.  

Gotfredson and Jensen spent multiple hours over a two-day period searching the cliffs and surrounding area for remains or clothing that match what Abrams was last reported wearing. Unfortunately, they didn’t find anything. 

According to Gotfredson’s story, Harper was in the Grand Wash Cliffs area a few weeks before Abrams went missing. He owns about 85 acres of land. While Harper lived with Abrams at her ranch, two days after she went missing, Harper left the state, driving through Arizona to get to New Mexico. 

Gotfredson reported that the San Juan County Sheriff in New Mexico obtained a search warrant and deputies impounded the RV Harper drove to New Mexico taking evidence from inside. However, the RCSD has not provided any persons of interest or suspects regarding Abrams or any of the other missing people.

According to RMRU, their team of volunteers was dispatched to Abrams’ 160-acre ranch in the Apple Canyon area June 9. They conducted a search from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with no success of finding Abrams.

RMRU went out again June 10 to search more difficult areas on the property including a creek bed and the hills overlooking her ranch. All assignments were completed by 6 p.m. At that point, detectives took over the investigation and called off the physical ground search.

The most recent woman to go missing from the Hemet/San Jacinto area is Diana Perez Gonzalez who was reported missing Dec. 11 and 27 years old at the time she went missing. According to family, Gonzalez visited the Idyllwild area regularly. She was last seen by her boyfriend.

Christy Rojas, Gonzalez’s sister, and her family are struggling with her sister missing.

Rojas said, “We’ve been terribly sad. We think about her every day and have dreams of her, waiting for any sign or a miracle because we miss her and love her a lot. But the most important, her baby needs her. We can see the sadness in her eyes. Although she can’t speak, we know she misses her mom.” Gonzalez is also pregnant.

The Town Crier recently reached out to the Perez family for any updates they may have received.

Rojas responded writing, “There are not relevant updates but thank you for asking. I’ll let you know if something new happens, God bless you.”