Two months after telling her family she wanted to go hiking, a missing Walmart worker was discovered dead in a hammock in an Alabama forest.
On November 30, a hunter discovered Vendula “Wendy” Rose’s body, which was in a hammock tied to some trees, bringing an end to the extended search for the woman who had been missing since September 24, Alabama police said.
In the days leading up to her disappearance, the Walmart employee from Ohio stated that she planned to go hiking in the Southern state where she was discovered, but then vanished without a trace.
According to The Sun, the cops discovered that she had discussed leaving money at a bank before dropping off a set of work keys with her boss.
The police noted that it appeared unusual, but they did not discover it until later. She departed Ohio on September 20 and landed in Alabama the same day, according to police. Days later, she drove to South Carolina and then back to Alabama.
On September 24, four days later, police spotted her at a supermarket in Oxford, approximately 60 miles from Birmingham. The cops did not reveal what she purchased or which business she visited.
Rose was an ardent hiker who had lived in the United States for over 20 years, according to reports, and had visited Cheaha State Park, which was just a 30-minute drive from Oxford.
She left her silver Honda at the entrance to one of the trails, took off, and never returned to work, prompting a missing person complaint. Aviation units then undertook an intensive search.
The report was released on Oct. 4, two days after Rose was scheduled to come home. Surveillance tape located her car approximately ten days after her last sighting.
Dana, Rose’s daughter, admitted to WIAT-TV that she was deeply concerned about her mother’s absence and refuted any conspiracy theories.
Rose’s body remained missing for months after the search began, despite efforts by rescue squads, K9 units, and equestrian teams.
It wasn’t until the hunter came over the body approximately 5 miles from where her silver Honda had been abandoned that the detectives were finally able to close the case.
The Columbus Dispatch described the discovery area as “rough” and isolated from other pathways. The Columbus Dispatch reported that police found numerous notes in the Honda, many classified as strange, and a box of ammo missing seven rounds.
Rose was finally identified last week using dental data, according to her relatives, who posted on a Facebook page set up to assist in identifying her. The detectives have not released the official cause of death, and the inquiry is ongoing.
Police aren’t even sure whether there’s enough DNA evidence to determine how she died. Adam Downs, the coroner of the Cleburne County Coroner’s Office, expressed optimism that Rose’s family will be able to find closure following the discovery.
Rose’s sister-in-law Sarah wrote on her Facebook page: “Although this was not the outcome we were hoping for, we realize that having closure was a blessing.” The police do not believe Rose’s death was the result of foul play.