Missing people feared dead; investigation continues in Chino Valley

CHINO VALLEY, Ariz. — Police continue to diligently work to find David Batten, 45, and Elissa Landry, 28, of Chino Valley who were reported as possibly deceased last week, the Chino Valley Police Department stated in a May 2 news release.

Batten and Landry, who is Batten’s step-daughter, were reported as missing and endangered April 23 – and last seen or heard from on April 19 – with Mitchel Mincks, 24.

Mincks has since been arrested on an unrelated warrant in Waterloo, Iowa.

Chino Valley Police investigators have been in Waterloo for the past several days working with authorities there tracking down leads and recovering evidence connected to this investigation.

Mincks has refused to cooperate with the investigation, police said. He remains in jail.

Several members of the public have told authorities about animals recovered in Waterloo, police said. Those are in fact Elissa’s animals, and they are being safely held at an animal shelter.

At this time David, Elissa and Elissa’s vehicle have not been located, police said. They are described as:

• David Batten. 45 years old, 6-feet tall, weighing approximately 255 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. David goes by the name “Nick.”

• Elissa Landry, 28 years old, 5-foot-10, weighing approximately 155 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Elissa goes by the name “Ellie.”

• Elissa’s vehicle is a blue 2013 Subaru Forester bearing Arizona Women Veterans plate “WV1236.”

If you have information on the whereabouts of Nick, Ellie or the vehicle, call 911 or your local authorities. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report to Yavapai Silent Witness online at yavapaisw.com or by calling 1-800-932-3232.

Background

Chino Valley police said April 28 that either Batten or Landry — or both of them — may be dead.

Chino Valley police “located evidence at and away” from Batten’s residence on Chino Drive, “indicating Elissa and/or David are deceased,” according to a news release.

Batten is the Chino Drive homeowner; Landry is his step-daughter; and Mincks is Landry’s boyfriend.

On April 25 and 26, the Chino Valley Police Department was assisted by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office with a ground and air search in the area of Highway 89 and Drake Road. The search turned up only cell phones belonging to Landry and Batten, police said.

Mincks was arrested in Waterloo, Iowa, on an unrelated warrant. He is a former resident of Waterloo and was on supervised release in Arizona for a federal weapons charge.