Relief spread through the community as Jacksonville officials have located Judith "Judy" King, the 71-year-old woman reported missing since 4:00 p.m. Friday. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office shared on social media that Ms. King is now safe, expressing gratitude for the public's assistance in the search. "Update: Good news! We found Ms. King and she is safe," the post read. "Thanks to everyone who helped us find her and spread the word!" The alert originally shared by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office described the concern for Ms. King's well-being, given her dementia diagnosis and the inclement weather conditions that could put her in danger.
Prior to her discovery, Ms. King was last seen on Devron Court near Moncrief Road and Soutel Drive around 10:30 p.m. Thursday. Reported wearing a cream flannel shirt, black pants, and black shoes, she may also have been wearing a dark blue or black jacket, the Sheriff's Office noted in their earlier search efforts. Standing at 5’5” and weighing 170 pounds, she could be recognized by her brown eyes and black, shoulder-length dreads. Even though Ms. King has been found, looking for her was a tense period of time.
During the time Ms. King was missing, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office urged the community to play an active role in locating her. "We got the call she was missing and have been searching for her since," the officials posted on social media as part of their appeal, expressing the urgency of the situation given Ms. King's vulnerability due to dementia. The community's engagement in sharing the post and providing information was integral to the successful outcome of this case.
