An 82-year-old Ohio woman reported missing in rural eastern Kentucky was found dead Friday, just hours after state troopers discovered her abandoned vehicle in the Decoy community of Knott County. Patricia Leighton, of Elyria, Ohio, had dementia, and a preliminary investigation indicates she became disoriented and walked away from her car on foot after it stopped running.
Kentucky State Police began investigating late Thursday, Oct. 29, after an abandoned vehicle was discovered in the Decoy community, according to lex18.com. Investigators searched the area that evening before resuming the following day, and during a search Friday, Oct. 30, they found Leighton’s remains several hundred yards from the vehicle, the station reports.
The Knott County Coroner’s Office pronounced Leighton dead at the scene, per the same account. Police said no foul play is suspected at this time, though an autopsy has been scheduled and toxicology results remain pending, according to FOX 56 News.
Investigation Led by Chadd Daniels
KSP Detective Chadd Daniels is leading the investigation into Leighton’s death.
Leighton’s death adds to a string of cases in which older adults with dementia have wandered from vehicles or homes in unfamiliar areas, underscoring the risks disorientation can pose when someone becomes stranded far from help. In this case, the preliminary finding that her car became inoperable before she set out on foot points to just how quickly a routine drive through rural terrain can turn dangerous for a vulnerable traveler.
