BENTON COUNTY, Mo. — The Benton County Sheriff’s Office as well as members from the Missouri Region C Technical Rescue Team believe they found the remains of Hellen Cook on Sunday. According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, the remains were found in an area of initial interest near a pond where some of Cook’s clothing was found earlier in the search.
A positive identification is pending the results of a DNA test. Cook’s family has said that some items found with the remains did belong to Cook.
The family sent a separate release stating they are forever grateful for the volunteer effort and know that Cook was found because volunteers continued to drive the search to find her. The release also stated that the family will meet tomorrow to determine what they do next, they do know that Cook’s body will not released to them immediately.
Cook, 72, walked away from a family vacation home near Warsaw, Mo. on July 13, triggering a massive search for the woman who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. The search persisted for nearly four weeks. The pond near the area where her clothing was found was drained recently, professional and amateur searchers scoured the woods in multiple areas of Benton County. The family also viewed surveillance footage from area retailers, hoping they would get a glimpse of Cook and somehow find her alive.
