The Disappearance and Death of Zoey Zane

Police have confirmed that a body found along a roadside near Toronto, Kansas is that of missing 18-year-old college student Emily Sander. Sander had been missing since November 23rd. The body was found on Thursday, November 29th, about 50 miles from where Sander was last seen alive. A forensic orthodontist positively identified the body as that of Sander.

She was last seen leaving a bar in El Dorado, Kansas with a man who has been identified as 24-year-old Israel Mireles. Mireles is believed to be traveling with his 16-year-old pregnant girlfriend. Authorities have found a rental car that was being used by Mireles in Texas. They believe he may have made his way across the Texas border into Mexico, where he reportedly has relatives. A massive search is currently underway for both Mireles and his girlfriend.

Sander's missing-person case captured national headlines after it was revealed the college student was also working as a nude Internet model under the name Zoey Zane. Her web site, ZoeyZane.com was taken offline following Sander's disappearance, but now features photos of Mireles and his girlfriend, as well as information about the case and an offer of a $3,000 reward for information bringing Mireles to justice.

While media reports following Sander's disappearance portrayed her as an "Internet porn star", the operators of ZoeyZane.com say she was nothing of the sort. A post on the web site slams coverage of the case, stating the media "have turned this into a PR feeding frenzy for the sole purpose of creating drama to draw in viewers." The post goes on to say that Sander was merely "a solo nude model whose site went live September 25, 2007". The operators of the site state that following reports that Sander was working as a "porn star" under the name Zoey Zane, the web site received more web traffic in two hours than the site had received in the two previous months. The web site post further asks media outlets to "show some class and respect" and "get back now to the main focus of capturing Israel Mireles". The site is also soliciting additional funds for the reward fund.