Missing elderly Utah woman found deceased in Wyoming

MILLCREEK, Utah (KSL.com) — An elderly Millcreek woman with dementia who has been missing for several days was found deceased in Wyoming.

Police had been looking for Victoria Acoba, 78, since Wednesday when officers issued a Silver Alert, a public notification to help find senior citizens with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other mental disabilities, who may be at risk and go missing. Her body was found Monday morning somewhere between Granger and Kemmerer, Wyoming, according to Unified police. Police believe Acoba’s vehicle ran out of gas and she began walking before eventually succumbing to the weather.

Acoba is believed to have left her home in Millcreek on Wednesday. Her Mazda CX5 was spotted Thursday in the Roy and Ogden areas where she does have family, police stated.

But police don’t know of any connections Acoba had to Kemmerer or why she would be in Wyoming. The investigation into when her car ran out of gas or how long she had been deceased when she was found was ongoing Monday. Unified police Sgt. Melody Cutler said Acoba’s cell phone was believed to have lost power for a couple of days by that point.

Her car was found on state Route 30, off of I-80. Her body was found about a quarter-mile from her vehicle, according to police. Cutler said there is a gas station not far from where her vehicle was found, but information about whether Acoba appeared to be walking in that direction was not immediately known Monday.

The forecast for Sweetwater County, Wyoming, this week is highs in the 30s and lows in the 20s.

“We are saddened at the outcome of this case. Our deepest condolences to her family and friends,” Unified police said in a statement.