Sad ending Tuesday to two separate missing person cases: California woman’s remains located on Mt. Ashland, Talent woman’s up Wagner Creek Road
Rogue Valley Times staff report
A days-long search for two missing women ended sadly with both found dead by local law enforcement Tuesday.
Jackson County Search and Rescue crews, as well as Medford and Talent police, began searching for Fortuna, California, resident Carolyn “Carrie” Carter-Griffin on Friday, and for Talent resident Mary Nougier on Monday.
Carter-Griffin, 46, was last seen Sept. 9 in Oakridge and first reported missing in Lane County. Family members had expressed concern that she was experiencing a mental health crisis.
Video footage from a Mt. Ashland Ski Area camera showed Carter-Griffin walking away from her red Toyota Tacoma pickup truck around 8 a.m. Sept. 11. Her truck was found during the day Sept. 13. Crews immediately began search efforts.
She was found dead Tuesday near the summit.
Family and friends of Carter-Griffin, a retired U.S. Forest Service supervisor, traveled to Southern Oregon and posted to social media to help in search efforts. One post said, “Carrie has been located and passed away peacefully with one of the best views on Mt. Ashland.”
The remains of a second missing woman, 78-year-old Nougier, was also located Tuesday.
The search for Nougier covered a wide area, including White City and Butte Falls, after her phone pinged near the 16.5 mile marker along Highway 140. Nougier’s need for essential medications made the search especially urgent.
Nougier was found close to home, up Wagner Creek Road, by Talent police with help from county search and rescue crews.
Nougier’s friend, Talent resident Anne Taylor, said law enforcement officers told her that Nougier was found outside her vehicle.
Taylor, who described Nougier as a happy person who liked to laugh and played a mean game of rummy, said her friend had gone for a drive without her cell phone being charged.
Police have not released a cause of death for either woman.
Family members of both women thanked law enforcement and community members for helping in the search.
This story first appeared in the Rogue Valley Times.
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
