14 DAY TRIAL // Crews of volunteers have found the remains of a hiker in the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho.
63-year-old Dr. Jodean “Jo” Elliott-Blakeslee of Boise disappeared during a hike with a friend. The pair were reported missing on September 24, when she failed to show up for work. They had planned to return on September 21.
“It’s terribly sad. It’s beyond sad. […] They were such beautiful people. I can’t believe they’re no longer in our lives. We’re so glad that Amy’s and Jo’s paths crossed ours. We’re the lucky ones,” friend Susie Hart expresses for the Idaho Statesman.
Her partner, Amy Linkert, was found dead on September 25. She was originally identified as Elliott-Blakeslee, but dental records proved otherwise.
“We hope that this will bring closure to her family, friends and all those who have been involved in the search.
“We join the family in thanking the searchers and local communities for the tremendous outpouring of support that we have received throughout this intense effort,” Park Superintendent Dan Buckley says in a statement.
They pair's truck was recovered at the Tree Molds parking lot last month, and their purses, cellphones and two dogs were inside.
6,000 search hours were put in the operation last week alone, with at least 70 people on the job every day.
The body was eventually spotted by park rangers scouring the area in a helicopter and taking high-resolution photos.
Her remains were recovered west of the Tree Molds Trail on Tuesday evening.
“It’s been a difficult chapter for us. It was a very intense effort,” Craters spokesman Ted Stout says.
He had previously mentioned being understaffed, due to the government shutdown.
“It's pretty much just park staff that are continuing the search. [...] But we're also faced with the government shutdown - we've been busy with that,” he told KBOI.