Found Deceased WA - Julie Montague Ayers, 67, got separated from her partner while walking the dog, has dementia, Mt Baker Natl Forest, Kendall, 10 Mar 2023

[Happypetitvieux01]

I don’t think that’s the case. I read it as referring to the wife, and that’s how it’s been stated in MSM.
Probably might read like this…
Husband and (his) wife with dementia…

Thanks, my mistake, English is second language for me soooo ... Trying my best but sometimes, I'm sure I'm doing small or big mistakes

 

[Lilibet]

Thanks, my mistake, English is second language for me soooo ... Trying my best but sometimes, I'm sure I'm doing small or big mistakes

Well, at least you speak and write a second language, unlike most of us! So keep posting. No worries about mistakes.

 

[annpats]

Thanks, my mistake, English is second language for me soooo ... Trying my best but sometimes, I'm sure I'm doing small or big mistakes

No, that's not the case Honestly, your English language is excellent. I can't tell it's not your 1st language. Bien joué.

 

[Incomprehensible]

It was said she had mild to moderate dementia in an earlier article, upthread. It can be very confusing for family members because the dementia often comes in waves. Your Mom can seem very rational and perceptive for a couple of days. You start to feel like she has improved and then suddenly she may appear disoriented and confused, and it comes on quickly.

On Monday and Tuesday she may have been capable of walking on the trail and finding her way home if separated. But come Wednesday she may have been too confused to handle that situation. It can happen quickly and I do understand how her husband might have been caught off guard.

Sadly unpredictable

 

[Happypetitvieux01]

From the beginning I have been trying to understand how Julia can become untraceable so quickly in the forest.

It is assumed that at some point she leaves the path and enters the forest which is described as dense and opaque.

I still can't get used to the idea that a frail woman - wearing knee-length rubber boots and a (heavy?) knee-length woolen coat with sleeves that seem baggy - can walk so fast in the forest that she is already nowhere to be found when her husband realizes that she is missing. Family searches begin almost immediately and yet no trace of Julia in the area where she disappeared.

In a dense forest, there are plenty of obstacles that slow down your walking speed. There are long, thick branches that you need to move or go around. Your clothes can get caught on the branches, you have to stop to untie them. You can get hurt quickly as soon as you enter the forest.

There is vegetation and tree trunks on the ground, you have to be careful where put your step. There is little light, you can't always see clearly where you are going.

Did Julia have a state of health and always the lucidity to circumvent all these obstacles to disappear very quickly and very deeply in a dense and opaque forest?

Could she have left the forest and got lost on the way back home?

 

[slowpoke]

“UPDATE: The owner of this vehicle has come forward. Detectives no longer need assistance. Thank you for all of the tips.”

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I just noticed the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office has posted this brief update. If they got any useful information from the driver, they sure aren’t giving us any clue.

 

[Springrain]

“UPDATE: The owner of this vehicle has come forward. Detectives no longer need assistance. Thank you for all of the tips.”

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I just noticed the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office has posted this brief update. If they got any useful information from the driver, they sure aren’t giving us any clue.

Interesting update. The wording makes me feel like they didn't get helpful info, but they could be keeping it close to the vest as well.

 

[PNW]

I hear you! That's a city car. Or someone with a nice white collar job that lives in the neat & tidy suburbs.
That's definitely not a typical rural WA/Oregon style car. It's not tough enough.
A PNW-style car would be older, more battered, muddier and probably more likely to be a pick-up truck or something with 4x4.

OK, some generalizations here, but that car really does look out of place!

What? Lol. I’m born and raised in the PNW and there are luxury cars everywhere. We take my Mercedes camping.

 

[Springrain]

What? Lol. I’m born and raised in the PNW and there are luxury cars everywhere. We take my Mercedes camping.

Lol I didn't want to say it, but...yeah, there are a lot of Teslas and Mercedes cars here.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

From the beginning I have been trying to understand how Julia can become untraceable so quickly in the forest.

It is assumed that at some point she leaves the path and enters the forest which is described as dense and opaque.

I still can't get used to the idea that a frail woman - wearing knee-length rubber boots and a (heavy?) knee-length woolen coat with sleeves that seem baggy - can walk so fast in the forest that she is already nowhere to be found when her husband realizes that she is missing. Family searches begin almost immediately and yet no trace of Julia in the area where she disappeared.

In a dense forest, there are plenty of obstacles that slow down your walking speed. There are long, thick branches that you need to move or go around. Your clothes can get caught on the branches, you have to stop to untie them. You can get hurt quickly as soon as you enter the forest.

There is vegetation and tree trunks on the ground, you have to be careful where put your step. There is little light, you can't always see clearly where you are going.

Did Julia have a state of health and always the lucidity to circumvent all these obstacles to disappear very quickly and very deeply in a dense and opaque forest?

Could she have left the forest and got lost on the way back home?

I’m also puzzled. One possibility is that she is on private property that hasn’t been thoroughly searched.

That happened to a local missing woman with dementia. Her vehicle was found and an exhaustive search took place. Unfortunately, her remains were found three months later in a remote part of someone’s large property. It was only 2 kms from where her car was found.

“Human remains found in Kings County near where woman went missing three months ago…​

…
RCMP say the remains were found shortly after 10:30 a.m. by a property owner on Arnold Road in Grafton, which runs from Bligh Road to Black Rock Road. It's a farming area with only a handful of properties and large tracts of agricultural land.

"It was on a part of their property that the owner doesn't always frequent,” Cpl. Jennifer Clarke said Friday afternoon. “They just happened to be in that area.”…
…
She said it was too early to say whether there was any indication of criminality involved in the person's death.

Arnold Road is about two kilometres up Bligh Road from the intersection of Highway 221. That's where the truck a missing 66-year-old woman was driving was located on Sept. 10, near the fire station in Woodville”

Human remains found in Kings County near where woman went missing three months ago | SaltWire

GRAFTON, N.S. — RCMP and the medical examiner's office are working to identify human remains found Friday morning in Kings County. RCMP say the remains ...

www.saltwire.com

Two of the searches that I volunteered for in the Toronto area also ended up with the victims being found months later deceased on private property. (Both were unused, difficult to reach parts of land.)

 

[Stunned]

Thanks, my mistake, English is second language for me soooo ... Trying my best but sometimes, I'm sure I'm doing small or big mistakes

I thought the same thing and English is my only written language! Obviously not well!

 

[Aloe]

I’m also puzzled. One possibility is that she is on private property that hasn’t been thoroughly searched.

That happened to a local missing woman with dementia. Her vehicle was found and an exhaustive search took place. Unfortunately, her remains were found three months later in a remote part of someone’s large property. It was only 2 kms from where her car was found.

“Human remains found in Kings County near where woman went missing three months ago…​

…
RCMP say the remains were found shortly after 10:30 a.m. by a property owner on Arnold Road in Grafton, which runs from Bligh Road to Black Rock Road. It's a farming area with only a handful of properties and large tracts of agricultural land.

"It was on a part of their property that the owner doesn't always frequent,” Cpl. Jennifer Clarke said Friday afternoon. “They just happened to be in that area.”…
…
She said it was too early to say whether there was any indication of criminality involved in the person's death.

Arnold Road is about two kilometres up Bligh Road from the intersection of Highway 221. That's where the truck a missing 66-year-old woman was driving was located on Sept. 10, near the fire station in Woodville”

Human remains found in Kings County near where woman went missing three months ago | SaltWire

GRAFTON, N.S. — RCMP and the medical examiner's office are working to identify human remains found Friday morning in Kings County. RCMP say the remains ...

www.saltwire.com

Two of the searches that I volunteered for in the Toronto area also ended up with the victims being found months later deceased on private property. (Both were unused, difficult to reach parts of land.)

Using social media and sending out letters to property owners ( LE and SAR don't do these things in my area but volunteer groups and family do ) can be very helpful.

 

[WingsOverTX]

From the beginning I have been trying to understand how Julia can become untraceable so quickly in the forest.

It is assumed that at some point she leaves the path and enters the forest which is described as dense and opaque.

I still can't get used to the idea that a frail woman - wearing knee-length rubber boots and a (heavy?) knee-length woolen coat with sleeves that seem baggy - can walk so fast in the forest that she is already nowhere to be found when her husband realizes that she is missing. Family searches begin almost immediately and yet no trace of Julia in the area where she disappeared.

In a dense forest, there are plenty of obstacles that slow down your walking speed. There are long, thick branches that you need to move or go around. Your clothes can get caught on the branches, you have to stop to untie them. You can get hurt quickly as soon as you enter the forest.

There is vegetation and tree trunks on the ground, you have to be careful where put your step. There is little light, you can't always see clearly where you are going.

Did Julia have a state of health and always the lucidity to circumvent all these obstacles to disappear very quickly and very deeply in a dense and opaque forest?

Could she have left the forest and got lost on the way back home?

Unfortunately, about four hours passed before LE were called. I think she had plenty of time to get lost ON A TRAIL. I doubt she bushwhacked because as you point out based on her clothing & shoes she would not have gotten far doing that.

How extensive is the trail system where she was last seen by her husband? My impression is that they were at the trailhead when the dog ran off. Perhaps she walked back toward the road then north or south. To the south there are waterways. I haven't seen anything to indicate they have cleared those, just that trails have been searched.

She may be on private property, having succumbed to hypothermia. I think JMA's abilities are being underestimated. If not in water, she is likely further away than she is believed to be capable of going.

If we set aside assumptions about her dementia, where would she likely go if angry or frustrated or fearful? Before her memory problems started, did she have any favorite outdoor areas she frequented?

I really feel for her family. Her sister & daughter are still pushing hard for any clues, organized a prayer circle & still raising community awareness.

Due to their commitment, I feel she will be found.
JMO

 

[PommyMommy]

APR 2, 2023

Family and volunteers continue search for missing Maple Falls woman | Whatcom News

The woman went missing on March 10th while out for a walk.

whatcom-news.com

[...]

Family members report that the owner of a vehicle of interest seen in the area at the time a woman went missing was identified and cleared by law enforcement.

Family members say they say they are turning their attention to areas with rugged and steep terrain while considering the possibility she may have gone further off the trail than initially thought.

 

[annpats]

Family members report that the owner of a vehicle of interest seen in the area at the time a woman went missing was identified and cleared by law enforcement. [URLunfurl="true"]https://whatcom-news.com/family-and-volunteers-continue-search-for-missing-maple-falls-woman_211679/[/URL]

Well, that's good. I'm glad the car was traced and it's all OK.

 

[RockyMtnWay_406]

Personally., I have a hard time with the "she got lost and they can't find her" theory. I often go to predator, either human or wild. Especially here in the west where the government protects too many wild predators and their population is growing unhealthy and hungry. OR, the human kind of predator.

 

[annpats]

Personally., I have a hard time with the "she got lost and they can't find her" theory.

I'm OK with that theory. It happens quite often. Websleuths is full of people who became lost in wilderness or dense forest with cliffs, drop-off, mines, ponds etc.

Many deceased have been found by hikers/walkers/hunters at the same place SAR teams have often searched. Ground foliage in heavy forest with limited light can be difficult.

 

[Glimma0927]

Personally., I have a hard time with the "she got lost and they can't find her" theory. I often go to predator, either human or wild. Especially here in the west where the government protects too many wild predators and their population is growing unhealthy and hungry. OR, the human kind of predator.

Humans are intruding in the territory of wild animals, not the other way around. Yes, there are dangerous animals in forested areas like the North Cascades where JA went missing, but that's another good reason for impaired individuals to avoid hiking in wild areas, not a reason to start attacking the government and the wild animals it protects.

(edited for clarity)

 

[Hestia's Fire]

Bellingham Metro News is reporting on Facebook that, per Julie's daughter Erin, Julie's body was found today. Not surprising after so much time has passed, but so heartbreaking for them. I hope this poor woman did not suffer too terribly before the end came.

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[Lilibet]

Bellingham Metro News is reporting on Facebook that, per Julie's daughter Erin, Julie's body was found today. Not surprising after so much time has passed, but so heartbreaking for them. I hope this poor woman did not suffer too terribly before the end came.

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Thank you for letting us know @Hestia’s Fire. I also hope the end was quick and painless. It’s a blessing she was found for the sake of her loved ones.