Found Deceased OR - Merrilee Cooley, 68, Clackamas, 27 Dec 2016

[Gardener1850]

This is really concerning:

The family of Merrilee Cooley said a friend went to check on her Wednesday and found Cooley's Clackamas home unlocked and in disarray, with her purse emptied out, furniture turned over and one of her slippers outside. The friend said her car and car keys were also gone.

A walker and a wheelchair, which Cooley uses to get around, were both at the home, in addition to her Life Alert necklace, cell phone and wallet.

http://www.nwcn.com/news/clackamas-woman-missing-since-tuesday-family-says/380354434

Also from that link, her car: a black 2010 Kia Optima sedan with Oregon license number 126 FGC

I really don't think she is driving it around.

 

[Elainera]

Yes, like many of you, I thought of my mom as well. She lives alone and loves it. We cannot get her to move in with my brother or into a group home. So seeing this case is very chilling. I really hope it has a positive ending---but having a hard time coming up with a realistic scenario where this poor woman is OK. :sigh:

I hear ya! My mom will be 81 next month and insists on living alone. I'm often so worried ...

 

[Gardener1850]

Unidentified adult female body found in the Willamette River: http://www.kgw.com/news/local/body-...ater-near-marina-south-of-scappoose/380978086

 

[hec60504]

Painkiller drugs - let's face it, most older people have them. She uses a walker; I suspect she does.

Well, someone took her car. But why would someone also take a lady who needs help getting around? Other than making her withdraw money at a bank, I don't see the point. I think they should check her bank transactions. What could they have been looking for?

 

[katydid23]

Painkiller drugs - let's face it, most older people have them. She uses a walker; I suspect she does.

Yes. But why would they have to take her away from the home. The pain pills are probably by her bedside, kitchen counter or bathroom cabinet. No need to take her anywhere. I don't get why she is missing.

 

[Elainera]

Her purse was emptied iirc. That clearly shows whoever took her was looking for something. Possibly her credit cards, or a key? Maybe the car key. Or keys to another property?

 

[La Louve]

I'm unclear why no Silver Alert has been issued. They know she is a vulnerable senior and they have her license plate number. I'm going to email the local tv stations; maybe they have asked LE.

It was snowing on my way home from Beaverton tonight and it's going to get very cold again over the next few nights.

Where are you Merilee?

 

[La Louve]

I hear ya! My mom will be 81 next month and insists on living alone. I'm often so worried ...

Mine just turned 88 and in some ways she's still a naive and trusting Minnesota farm girl. I worry about her living alone too. Fortunately she lives in a close-knit community and her neighbors all keep tabs on her.

 

[La Louve]

January 1st update on family facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/weilers/posts/10210088479626127

Still no updates. Police Detectives are actively looking at the case. We are asking anyone who thinks they see Merrilee to please go up and talk to her! She is friendly, and will talk your ear off. Take a picture if you aren't sure, and send it to me via message on Facebook. We will gladly take a look and determine if it is her. We are desperate for leads. And again, if you are a friend or neighbor who saw her at all on Tuesday the 27th, please let us know. We are trying to put a time line together and are having a hard time believing that no one talked to her or saw her at all on Tuesday. She was constantly on the phone with friends, and we feel she did the same Tuesday but no one is coming forward. Phone records are being pulled, but hearing from people directly would help us out tremendously. Or if you saw her thru her window...let us know. Thank you again for sharing this post. Please keep sharing, and keep your eyes open when you are out and about!

I also emailed KGW last night, inquiring why LE has not issued a Silver Alert. Have not received a reply.

I'm not on FB and can't see all the comments so maybe this has been addressed on the family's facebook page.

 

[Lilibet]

This doesn't look good at all.

I notice that Merrilee is a member the the Clackamas County Sellers and Buyers Group. I don't believe she has listed anything for sale, but could she have made a recent purchase from a predator? The site has a post 12/27 about a break in at a small business not terribly far away in which gold nuggets were stolen. I assume the break in was probably on Monday. Could there be some connection leading the burglar to Merrilee? I'm grasping at straws here, so forgive me for coming up with something far fetched. But there was something this person wanted from Merrilee besides credit cards, which were left behind.

And the big question remains...why take Merrilee?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/798192513528260/

 

[La Louve]

I got a response from the KGW news tip contact regarding my question of the lack of a Silver Alert for Merilee. The responder said it was a good question and asked if I have a connection to Merilee (which I do not).

Here is the relevant part of my reply; I'll let you know if I hear back again.

... since both Merilee and her car are missing, it seems logical to me that, given her age and vulnerability, a Silver Alert could be issued. Law Enforcement may not feel they can assume she is with her car, but I think they can't afford not to work from that assumption. A Silver Alert would be helpful to have more eyes on the lookout for her. While she and her car may no longer be together, in my opinion finding her car remains a critical step in determining what has happened to Merilee, and hopefully returning her to her family and friends.

 

[InsightfulSage]

I got a response from the KGW news tip contact regarding my question of the lack of a Silver Alert for Merilee. The responder said it was a good question and asked if I have a connection to Merilee (which I do not).

Here is the relevant part of my reply; I'll let you know if I hear back again.

That's awesome that you reached out. Great response!

Is there any news on the body found? I'm praying it's not her, but sadly it is someone's loved one.


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[CluelessWonder]

I have heard of very few cases where the house was ransacked. Have you heard of it? I thought that was just something you see in movies. I wonder if the scene was staged by someone.

 

[Hippononymous]

I have heard of very few cases where the house was ransacked. Have you heard of it? I thought that was just something you see in movies. I wonder if the scene was staged by someone.

That was my first thought.


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[CluelessWonder]

Merilee's physical appearance reminds me of a lady who staged her own disappearance and ran off with an employer's money. They found the lady living in another town and working for a similar type of business. With Merilee's physical limitations, I doubt that's how this is going to end. But I sure would prefer that over the eerie stuff I'm imagining.

 

[InsightfulSage]

Hope this is ok, but family just posted on FB that the body found yesterday is not Merilee.


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[katydid23]

I have heard of very few cases where the house was ransacked. Have you heard of it? I thought that was just something you see in movies. I wonder if the scene was staged by someone.

I also wondered if maybe she made the mess herself. Only asking because when my grandmother was first diagnosed with dementia, we had found her at home, with her house looking like it was ransacked. My Mom asked her what she was looking for and she said ' Oh, I don't remember...' But she had taken everything out of the cali gets and drawers and it was all in piles. And she was usually a very tidy housekeeper.

 

[Lilibet]

I also wondered if maybe she made the mess herself. Only asking because when my grandmother was first diagnosed with dementia, we had found her at home, with her house looking like it was ransacked. My Mom asked her what she was looking for and she said ' Oh, I don't remember...' But she had taken everything out of the cali gets and drawers and it was all in piles. And she was usually a very tidy housekeeper.

Yes, that's possible. But how to explain her walker and wheelchair and purse left behind and her slippers in the yard? That looks to me like she was forcibly carried from her house, unless she crawled to her car and lost her slippers in the process. I guess anything is possible. They need to find the car.

 

[klily444]

Another female body was found, this time 4 hours north I believe. The age matches but the weight doesn't.

https://www.google.com/amp/q13fox.c...-up-on-skagit-county-beach/amp/?client=safari

 

[La Louve]

Merilee's height (5'1") doesn't match the body found in Skagit County (approx 5'5").