Whatcom woman found dead almost a month after she went missing
The Whatcom County woman who went missing early last month was found dead on April 2, her family confirmed to The Bellingham Herald.
Julie Montague-Ayers, 67, was last seen alive around 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 10, while on a walk with her partner in the Peaceful Valley area of Maple Falls.
Montague-Ayers and her partner became separated while on the walk. When Montague-Ayers did not return home, her partner searched for her and then called 911 around 1:50 p.m., according to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.
Montague-Ayers had wandered away in the past and was known to have dementia.
Initial search and rescue efforts did not locate Montague-Ayers, so her family launched a new search effort over the weekend, according to a Facebook post by Montague-Ayers’ daughter, Erin Suda.
“After consulting with different specialists, we have constructed a new search map with seven areas of rugged terrain that need to be searched by experienced wilderness trekkers and sniffer dogs. She may have gone further than we initially believed,” Suda wrote in the post.
Montague-Ayers was found in a deep ravine in a wooded area near the family home, according to Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Deb Slater. Steep terrain and weather conditions made it challenging for search and rescue personnel to safely access the area and retrieve her body.
Bellingham Mountain Rescue members were able to extricate Montague-Ayers from the ravine Monday morning, Slater told The Herald.
Her death is not considered suspicious, according to Montague-Ayers’s sister, Jody Montague.
“She was a really bright light in this world for peace,” Jody Montague said of her sister.
This story was originally published April 3, 2023 at 11:20 AM.
