Courtesy of Alamosa Valley Courier Online Edition
Tuesday, January 24, 2006

MONTE VISTA — The Rio Grande County Sheriff’s Department closed its investigation on the site of a former gas station at 1820 Grande in Monte Vista at about noon Monday.
Rio Grande County Sheriff Brian Norton told newspaper staff that a blackened joint bone found in a grease line over the weekend will be sent out for evaluation. It could take up to six months for results on the bone.
Some have said that the investigation has to do with the four-year-old missing person case of Danice Day.
The 20 year old mother of two was reported missing on Jan. 9, 2002 and has not yet been located. Norton would not confirm that his department’s search was tied to the case.
The sheriff’s department taped off the area of the newly cleared lot north of U.S. 160 mid-week. On Saturday, a tent was erected as excavation work continued. A back hoe was used Sunday.
The Monte Vista Police Department was on scene to offer assistance, but did not participate in the search. The Alamosa Sheriff’s Department set up a mobile emergency command post, which was gone by Sunday.
There have been other investigations during the past four years concerning Danice Day’s disappearance. Officers have dug for a body, used cadaver dogs and searched the San Juan Mountains, never finding anything.
The most recent investigation was on property that had once belonged to the family of Day’s boyfriend, Victor Braun.
The Rio Grande Tax Accessor’s office confirmed the property was sold in March 2002 to Michael H. and Linda Trujillo.
Four years ago, Danice Day left her job in Monte Vista for her home in Lariat.
According to a statement made by former sheriff J. Desi Medina at a Rio Grande County Com-missioners open meeting on Feb. 27, 2002, when Day arrived at the home she shared with Braun, she told Braun she was leaving him and he struck her, killing her.
Sheriff Norton has stated when Day arrived home she told Braun she was going out with a friend. Reportedly the friend picked her up and she has not been heard from since.
Despite reports that Norton was prepared to make a public statement Monday, information received from the sheriff’s staff at 5:45 p.m. indicated that he was not yet ready to make that statement. Queries were being transferred to his voice mail.

Community Comments
The comment by Desi "Four years ago, Danice Day left her job in Monte Vista for her home in Lariat. According to a statement made by former sheriff J. Desi Medina at a Rio Grande County Com-missioners open meeting on Feb. 27, 2002, when Day arrived at the home she shared with Braun, she told Braun she was leaving him and he struck her, killing her." Then why didn't he arrest Braun? something is very strange here.
i hope they do find that this bone is from danise day. her parents have suffered 4 long agonizing years. she was their only daughter and it is only right that justice for danise is served. god bless her family.
Someone should put this case on one of those detective shows on tv. They will find her and her killer.
Nothing strange about Desi Medina. Everyone has a right to excercise their indescretions and stroke their ego and repent later. Sheriff Medina is only human, or at least that's the way I remember him. Law enforcement is an overwhelmingly difficult job that the everyday person can't begin to fathom. Rio Grande county despritely needs a Civilian Academy first, to educate Joe Citizen, second to provide support to the departments in their jurisdiction. These deputies and officers work a thankless job and are given little support and always fight the tight budgets that accompany rural areas. When a case like the Day case breaks, the community is outraged by the lack of expertise. Quit bitching, donate money, organize a citizen's academy. It ain't like you see on CSI folks. Cases like these take time. I'd ought to know. I were one.
Trout
hello, i have a comment. I think they should question Victor Brauns dad, Vern Braun. I bet they both had something to do with it, thats probably why they sold the gas station on grand ave. Ive heard stories from someone about what happened to danice day from Cindy who works at the comfort inn in monte vista. I think its a real mystery, and you can believe what people say, but you never know if its the truth or not.
will
I have been wondering why Veron Braun and his son have not been arrested, everyone knows they had something to do with her missing? I wonder how they can live with what they did.