OR OR - Sherry Wellwood, 46, Portland hospital, 10 Dec 2019 *car found*

[JMapes]

I got excited when I saw you had posted to this thread @Bigfoot1977. Thank you for keeping this case warm through this unprecedented time.

 

[Limecat]

So I wonder if Sherry’s bank account info has been reviewed by LE? I know they found the two receipts though we don’t know what she purchased. I’m wondering if it was the camping gear? Like she left the hospital and was very afraid of being committed again so decided to go way off grid so stopped at one of the two places noted on receipts to purchase the gear. Doesn’t sound like she had much in the way of supplies/gear for going THAT far off grid and in the dead of winter.

I’m also curious/concerned why she was on a (possibly court mandated) psych hold and the events that led up to that. Also the friend that spoke with her and urged her to stay at the hospital must have gotten a bad vibe from speaking with her that she tried to convince her to stay.

I worry that once mental health issues are in play LE leans toward self harm, though I think in this case it’s far more to do with weather, the location of her vehicle, road conditions etc.

God Bless you Bigfoot!

 

[Bigfoot1977]

I fully agree about the mental health angle that's partly why I wanted to help search in her case. After having been in the general area she was it was really cold and we got alot of snow during that period. I suspect her car got stuck and she either got out to look for help of someone made her get out. I am hoping to be back middle of next week and by the end of next week if it's not extreme heat like it is today I will go for another afternoon hike

 

[Bigfoot1977]

Before I head back up I was doing more research to find a more precise location of where her vehicle was found and I found a local news article which states:

"Cedar Flat Road connects to the Selma area via Deer Creek Road, but the pass at the top has a junction, and the woman went a half-mile on the BLM road headed north before getting stuck, Daniel said. The location is approximately 10 miles south of Murphy and 6 miles west of Williams."

This clearly indicates she came to BLM Rd 37-6-36 from Selma & Deer Creek as that is the only way to go North on that road from the junction.

This means I can head in the way she did and take that road north a half mile and be in the general vicinity of where here vehicle was stuck.

This will help me alot on my next hike which should go down possibly tomorrow. More to come ....

 

[Bigfoot1977]

Well I did alot of hiking and searching around yesterday. At least this time I made it to where Sherry's vehicle was located. I wanted to drop these initial pictures. I have more and will write up more details this afternoon as I get time. It doesn't appear that much traffic has made it through this area even this far into summer. Just proves how far out she went in her car.

 

[Bigfoot1977]

So my first attempt that day was to go in the way the police reported in that local article I found. This means I came in from Selma on Deer Creek Rd to get to BLM 37-6-36 and go north the direction her car was facing.

The overgrowth on the connecting road between Deer Creek Rd to BLM 37-6-36 is so bad and so many fallen trees that there is simply NO WAY Sherry drove in with that car from that direction. It's not one seasons overgrowth either it's years of fallen trees and debris. Maybe, maybe a 4 wheeler and a chainsaw could get through this way but it appears to me after walking this couple mile long stretch of overgrown road that only possibly a dirt biker or two have gone through there in the last year or more.

There is no way the Sheriff's went up that way either.

This leadse to believe Sherry only could have come in, remember it was Dec with rain and then snow, to come in via Murphy - Spencer Creek Rd - BLM 37-6-36.

 

[Bigfoot1977]

So my next attempt I went back the only way I can see some one in car getting there through Murphy to Spencer Creek and then up at the top at like 4k feet you hit BLM 37-6-36.

Right off the bat I found another abandoned/stolen? car up there which I later reported to the Josephine County Sheriff's Department.

I then continued at least from the junction on BLM 37-6-36 i gauged it between 4-5 miles into that road you hit the police tape where her car was found/stuck in the side ditch of the road I imagine.

I set on foot searches this immediate area first up and down the road a mile each way and it's very steep, very overgrown, fallen logging trees and debris everywhere. I did notice empty water bottles/jug and signs of fast food type trash around the immediate areas of the side of the road where her car and now the tape is at. That goes along with the sheriff report of her being in the car awhile stuck.

 

[Bigfoot1977]

Anyways I have more photos of the upper road I found where the sheriff's had described finding possibly her beanie cap.

For some reason with my bad internet connect here in the mountains I am having a hard time getting the images resized to fit here on the websleuths page.

Anyways I hiked up that upper road about 2 miles in as well and it's all up hill elevation probably reaches 4500-5k feet. It's really only an old logging road and maybe hunters have been using it.

If Sherry came up this road she only went up higher in elevation to more snow I would imagine. I can't believe she would go that far up the road tho in that deep of snow. She would really have to be in good shape.

I searched as much as I could up and down my hike of this road but again is very steep with fallen trees everywhere.

At this point I realize I am mostly looking for her clothes, shoes, any remains if she was up in this area.

 

[Bigfoot1977]

After coming back down to my vehicle it was about 6pm and I headed back down the hill.

So far my only take is this. She came in from Murphy while it was still raining on Dec. 11th maybe the 12th. She was going south but at some point turned around north. She prolly parked and slept in her car and it snowed over night more than she could imagine. She then probably tried to drive aways in the snow but got stuck. It snowed more. She stayed in the car awhile trying to deal with it with what supplies she had.

Her phone and purse were left in the vehicle. This means to me if she got out it was only supposed to be for a short period of time and then return to the car but something happened.

Or someone encountered her outside the car or forced her out and left her items inside.

Also it clearly states in the sheriff's info/news articles her phone only worked on wifi and had not been used since Dec. 10th.

So the big question is why here? How did she pick it? Who told her about this place? There are at least 5-6 junctions up Spencer Creek Road where you can pick 2-3 roads from each junction. How did she constantly pick the right road with NO road signs each junction to reach that upper pass? What are the chances?

Also I spoke to a local LE Officer who said that BLM Road is more known to locals to dump stolen cars, thieves, etc.

This made me wonder did Sherry randomly go up there or did someone on her travels tell her how to get there? And does that increase the chances she encountered a person(s) while out of her vehicle and they took her out of there???

To me it's only her remains are still up there on that Mountain somewhere after succumbing to a fall or the elements. Or someone took her out of there.

Lastly I need more help!! No I fear besides me is looking. I need a few more people to help search and someone willing to give me a ride in a Jeep or big 4wd truck. It's some serious terrain. I am also gonna try harder to get a 4wheeler for me to ride up there on so I can cover more ground faster.

It's all I can do to try and help Sherry and her family and this case since it's quite baffling.

 

[Ursamajr]

Lastly I need more help!! No I fear besides me is looking. I need a few more people to help search and someone willing to give me a ride in a Jeep or big 4wd truck. It's some serious terrain. I am also gonna try harder to get a 4wheeler for me to ride up there on so I can cover more ground faster.

You are doing a fantastic job! I used to live around the area and would certainly have joined you. Unfortunately, I'm now a couple thousand miles away. I'm really glad Sherry has you looking for her - it seemed like this case went too silent too soon.

 

[MelBee]

Hey Bigfoot!
My boyfriend and I have recently started a missing persons podcast and we have started looking at the cases of the missing people in our area. (Southern Oregon) When we started looking into things, we were amazed at not only how many people go missing, but how little is done for their recovery. It seems like the police keep coming up with “limited resources” as an excuse to not do further searches or business investigation. In addition to our podcast, we have gone out to the areas where people who have disappeared were last known to be. Or their vehicles anyhow. We are from Gold Hill. We were out today looking near the area where Sherry Wellwood’s car was found, did not find the exact spot yet. Upon searching for more information, I came across your posts on Web Sleuths. I read that you were looking for people to help search, and we are that people. We are planning on going out there again tomorrow. I know it’s short notice, but we would love to meet up with you if possible and combine our resources. Our podcast is called “Death Mysteries” We also have a you tube channel with video of last known whereabouts of some of Southern Oregon’s missing people. Hope to talk to you soon.

 

[StepMommyT]

Hi everyone. I signed up for an account just to say thank you to everyone for this thread and especially to Bigfoot and anyone else who's been searching. I've known Sherry since high school and have been kind of baffled at how little attention this seems to have gotten. Even with the mental health issues she was having I guess I just hoped for more.

 

[bykerladi]

Hi StepMommyT! Welcome to the group!

 

[Bigfoot1977]

i messaged you back but did not hear anything. did you make it to the location of where the vehicle was at?

i am more than willing to meet up and coordinate, share details on where i have been and searched. take anyone to the location as weather/conditions allow.

bottom line is we need a truck/4wd vehicle and a afternoon to go back up.

i wont give up and as time, budget and weather allows i will be going back up even if solo and searching for clues. Sherry deserves that.

Hey Bigfoot!
My boyfriend and I have recently started a missing persons podcast and we have started looking at the cases of the missing people in our area. (Southern Oregon) When we started looking into things, we were amazed at not only how many people go missing, but how little is done for their recovery. It seems like the police keep coming up with “limited resources” as an excuse to not do further searches or business investigation. In addition to our podcast, we have gone out to the areas where people who have disappeared were last known to be. Or their vehicles anyhow. We are from Gold Hill. We were out today looking near the area where Sherry Wellwood’s car was found, did not find the exact spot yet. Upon searching for more information, I came across your posts on Web Sleuths. I read that you were looking for people to help search, and we are that people. We are planning on going out there again tomorrow. I know it’s short notice, but we would love to meet up with you if possible and combine our resources. Our podcast is called “Death Mysteries” We also have a you tube channel with video of last known whereabouts of some of Southern Oregon’s missing people. Hope to talk to you soon.

 

[Bigfoot1977]

StepmommyT ...no problem at all and if you have any questions i may be of help just ask.

Regardless of Sherrys mental state she deserves to be found and some answers given to family/friends.

the problem with her case is the pretty extreme remote location and high elevation her car was found. its a bit unsafe any time kf year but especially in winter snow.

Hi everyone. I signed up for an account just to say thank you to everyone for this thread and especially to Bigfoot and anyone else who's been searching. I've known Sherry since high school and have been kind of baffled at how little attention this seems to have gotten. Even with the mental health issues she was having I guess I just hoped for more.

 

[Bigfoot1977]

its been cold early this year i imagine there is snow and or ice up there already. i will update as i can when i go up next.

 

[YaYa_521]

Hi everyone. I signed up for an account just to say thank you to everyone for this thread and especially to Bigfoot and anyone else who's been searching. I've known Sherry since high school and have been kind of baffled at how little attention this seems to have gotten. Even with the mental health issues she was having I guess I just hoped for more.

Welcome to WS, @StepMommyT.

 

[PommyMommy]

Sherry has been missing for a year now.

 

[lindamichelle1]

An article from August 2021 that mentions Sherry and that she is still missing

Rogue Valley News, Thursday 8/19 – UPDATE: Woman Missing in Grants Pass Found Safe, 200 Workers Released After Raid On Illegal Marijuana Grow Near Kerby - Rogue Valley Magazine

 

[YaYa_521]

Two years. Still no answers.