LA MESA, Calif. — A 71-year-old San Diego woman missing for over a month has been found dead.
Vivian Crowder, who suffered from dementia, wandered from her caretaker on October 29th from La Mesa Village.
She was considered at-risk because of her dementia.
La Mesa Police is working with the Medical Examiner’s Office to determine how she died.
Crowder was found on the morning of December 2nd by California Highway Patrol and Caltrans workers along the onramp from La Mesa Boulevard to Eastbound Interstate 8, approximately 1.6 miles from where she went missing.
Surveillance video shows her walking along La Mesa Boulevard moments after she disappeared.
According to police, Crowder had been waiting at ITAN during her caretaker's appointment when she wandered away.
Since then, family and friends, along with the Sheriff's Search and Rescue team and volunteer organizations, searched tirelessly for her, covering both La Mesa and the area around her senior living complex off Imperial Avenue in Southeast San Diego.
They were especially concerned because Crowder did not have her medication or wallet at the time and was not familiar with La Mesa.
In a news release, the La Mesa Police Department said,
The cause and manner of death are pending. The La Mesa Police Department’s Investigations Unit, in partnership with the San Diego County Medical Examiner, will continue its investigation into the full circumstances surrounding her death. Thank you to the many citizens, volunteer organizations, and Sheriff’s Search and Rescue for their support and contributions to the search for Ms. Crowder since she was reported missing. The Crowder Family asks for privacy during this difficult time.