Mystery on Platforms Beach: Partner Vows to Find Missing Girlfriend
A 35-year-old woman's mysterious disappearance from a California beach party has left her family and partner telling starkly different stories. Danielle Staley was last seen at a bonfire in the Platforms Beach area of Rio Del Mar in Aptos on the evening of November 6, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.
Her personal belongings were discovered on the beach, but authorities found no indication that she had entered the ocean. The Utah native had been living with her 62-year-old partner, Axl Nunez, in their camper van by the beach since September and had maintained regular contact with her family until she vanished.
A Night of Conflicting Accounts
Nunez explained that he did not attend the bonfire party with Staley due to his asthma and subsequently fell asleep in his van. He awoke the next morning to find she had never returned. "I'm going to find her," Nunez told FOX13. "I won't stop, bro. I'm not stopping until I find her, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here."
However, Staley's family has presented a contrasting picture of the couple's relationship. They described it as a 13-year "on-again, off-again" dynamic that had long been a source of worry. April Miller, Staley's mother, stated, "We've been concerned for years." The missing woman's brother went further, labelling Nunez as "extremely abusive" and manipulative.
Miller expressed alarm at Nunez's suggestion that Staley simply walked away. "He's been saying that basically, she just walked off, not taking her purse, her phone, not taking one thing other than the clothes on her back. Honestly, we're really alarmed by this because that's not Danielle."
Police Suspect Foul Play as Investigations Continue
In response to the family's claims, Nunez has firmly denied any involvement. "Absolutely not. One hundred percent. God as my witness, I have nothing to do with it," he asserted. He acknowledged the predictable suspicion that falls on partners in such cases and stated his sole desire is to assist in the search.
The 62-year-old claims to have been fully cooperative, allowing police to search his van and even offering to take a polygraph test. "Whatever they want to do, they can do it... I just want to help to try to find her," Nunez said.
Law enforcement has indicated that foul play may be involved in Staley's disappearance. Sergeant Zach West of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office clarified that the case is being investigated as a missing person with suspicious circumstances, but no crimes have been established and there are currently no persons of interest. Nunez is not considered a suspect at this time.
Amid social media backlash focused on the couple's history, Nunez has proposed an alternative theory, suggesting Staley's disappearance could be drug-related, involving a potential relapse. He maintains that the focus should remain on finding his girlfriend, whom he calls his "best friend."
Staley's brother, Frankie Grey, remembers her as a "trusting and loving" person with an incredible sense of humour. "She's so fun and funny and just the life of any room," Grey said.
Danielle Staley is described as 5'6" tall, weighing 120 pounds, with blonde hair. She was last seen wearing a dark sweatshirt and leopard print leggings.
