PHOENIX — A year has passed since 26-year-old Victoria Hahlen was found dead in a remote part of the Cave Creek area, and her family is still waiting for answers. The young Phoenix mother, remembered for her bright spirit and infectious laugh, left behind a heartbroken family and a young son who will grow up without his mom.
“She could light up a room,” said Danielle Hahlen, Victoria’s younger sister. “She could make anybody laugh, smile. She had a big, big heart.”
Victoria’s mother, Shelly Hahlen, describes the pain of her loss as a permanent absence.
“She was really funny,” Shelly Hahlen said. “It’s like that little piece that's missing out of your family — that special part.”
Family videos capture moments of joy, like birthdays and Christmas mornings, when Victoria was most in her element — laughing, celebrating, and embracing her new role as a mother. Her son was just three years old when she died.
“She was just so happy to be a mom,” Shelly Hahlen recalled, showing bracelets her daughter gave her — jewelry she hasn’t taken off since.
Hahlen's family says they last saw her at a birthday. Days later, detectives knocked on the door.
“I could feel it in my stomach, like something's wrong,” Danielle Hahlen said.
On the morning of September 10, 2024, Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies responded to reports of a body near the Cave Creek area, north of Carefree Highway. The remains were identified as Victoria Hahlen’s, and the Medical Examiner later ruled her death a homicide.
MCSO tells ABC15 the homicide investigation is still active. There have been no arrests, no suspects named, and no reported leads in the case.
"Nobody had the right to take my daughter away from me,” Shelly Hahlen said.
Do you have a concern in your community or a news tip? We want to hear from you!
Connect with us: share@abc15.com
The family has filed multiple requests to obtain the Medical Examiner’s report since December, but has not been able to obtain it. Two records requests filed by ABC15 remain pending as well.
The lack of information has left the Hahlen family in anguish.
“It’s very frustrating,” Shelly Hahlen said. “Just not having any answers at all.”
For the family, justice is about more than finding peace — it’s about preventing another family from experiencing the same tragedy.
“We need answers,” Shelly Hahlen said. “So they’re not doing it to other people. People gotta stop taking people’s lives.”
Hahlen's absence is still hard for her family to grasp.
“I still expect her to keep walking through that door,” Shelly Hahlen said.
Now, as Hahlen's son approaches his fifth birthday, her family is stepping in to help care for him.
“You can tell he knows, because he looks for her,” Danielle Hahlen said. “It’s really hard to think about him growing up without his mom. And my sister to not be around, to see him graduate, get married, have those firsts in life.”
While investigators search for a break in the case, Hahlen's loved ones are focused on keeping her memory alive — not just in photos and stories, but in the life of the little boy she loved most.
Anyone with information about Victoria Hahlen’s death is urged to contact the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office at 602-876-1011.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
