Full Name: Roland A Cantsee

Alternative Name: Roland Cantsee, Roland Adland Cantsee, Roland Adlen Cantsee

Case Status: Deceased

Record ID#: 0146

*The names “Jane Doe”  and “John Doe” are English names used when the person’s true name is not known. If used above, the name refers to a person of unknown identity.

Date of Birth*: November 22, 1966
Birthplace: California
Age at the Time: 45
Age Group: 40s
Biological Sex: Male
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Skin Complexion:
Shoe Size:
Ethnicity: Native American
Nationality: United States
Languages Spoken:

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Physical Build:

Height:

Weight

Distinguishing Marks:

• Scar

Medical Condition:
Physical Abnormality:
Dental Condition:
Scars & Other Marks: Scars on his abdomen and right hand.
Piercings:
Tattoos:

Other Descriptors: Cantsee was half Navajo and half Southern Ute. He lived in Shiprock, New Mexico.

Clothing

Possessions:

Date of the Disappearance*: November 11, 2011

Description: Roland A. Cantsee was a 45-year-old man from Shiprock, New Mexico, who was half Navajo and half Southern Ute. He had a limited criminal history, consisting of a misdemeanor DUI conviction in August 2010. Cantsee received monthly checks from his tribal affiliations with the Southern Ute, which investigators later speculated may have been a motive in his death.

Cantsee was last seen alive on November 11, 2011 when he left a relative’s home in Shiprock to meet up with some friends. Security camera footage from a Walmart on West Main Street in Farmington, New Mexico, captured him purchasing a bottle of Crystal Palace vodka alongside another unidentified man.

After this, he reportedly returned to the Navajo Reservation and parted ways with the man. He was not seen again until his disappearance was reported by a relative on November 26, 2011, after he had been missing for over two weeks.

Multiple Victims?: No

Rumored or Actual Sightings:

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Date the Body was Recovered: November 27, 2011

Description: The following day, on November 27, 2011, Cantsee’s body was discovered in a remote field (described in some accounts as near a ditch) approximately eight miles north of the Flowing Water Navajo Casino in Hogback, New Mexico, on the Navajo Indian Reservation. The discovery was prompted by reports of coyotes clawing at the ground in the area, revealing that the body had been partially buried. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be blunt impact trauma to the head, consistent with a severe beating using hands, feet, and possibly a weapon. The FBI has indicated that more than one person was likely involved in the assault and the disposal of the body.

The case remains unsolved as of 2025, with no suspects publicly identified or arrests made. In December 2013, the FBI announced a reward of up to $1,500 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of those responsible. Tips can be submitted to the FBI’s Albuquerque office at 505-889-1300, the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety at 505-368-1300, or anonymously via tips.fbi.gov. The case was briefly removed from the FBI’s website around 2017, but it has since been reinstated, suggesting ongoing investigation efforts. No significant updates or breakthroughs were found in searches for information from 2024 or 2025.

Time of Death: Sometime between November 11, 2011 (last sighting) and November 27, 2011 (Discovery)

Cause of Death: Blunt Impact Trauma (Physical Assault and possible Assault with a Deadly Weapon)

Recovered Remains (if partial):

Suspected Homicide?: Yes

Multiple Victims?: No

DNA Tested (No Match):

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Description:

License Plate:

Description: Multiple Persons are suspected to have been involved in dumping his remains and possibly the homicide itself.