Found Deceased WA - Julie Montague Ayers, 67, got separated from her partner while walking the dog, has dementia, Mt Baker Natl Forest, Kendall, 10 Mar 2023

[Breezie]

Is that her partner in the photo?

It might be a hiking partner but it isn’t her husband. Her husband is Reverend Roy Ayers with Unity Church. Julie was also a Unity Reverend.

 

[RickshawFan]

Here is Robert Koester via Department of Homeland Security. SAR and lost person behavior is a homeland security matter (think disasters, downed pilots, urban SAR, missing persons, etc.). There is even an App, which you, too, can own for your very self.

 

[Happypetitvieux01]

Julie's last seen location is the trail system near Sprague Valley Drive, Peaceful Valley, Washington state. It is near a lot of woods, wilderness and other features. It is heavily wooded and vast. There are not many roads at all especially in a southerly direction. There are vast woods/wilderness to the south and west. It looks very dense. Not good visibility from above. It is just difficult, that is all. That is not to say she will not be found, and that she has not managed to stay in somewhere with shelter. I hope they find her.

She seems to be a frail woman. Is it still possible for her to walk miles in a densed and heavy wooden area within few hours? Do we know what kind of shoes she's wearing? She must be so scared

 

[Hestia's Fire]

She seems to be a frail woman. Is it still possible for her to walk miles in a densed and heavy wooden area within few hours? Do we know what kind of shoes she's wearing? She must be so scared

"She was last seen wearing a blue-patterned wool coat and red, knee-high rubber boots," according to all of the reports I've seen. So at least her feet would have stayed somewhat insulated and dry?

 

[RickshawFan]

"She was last seen wearing a blue-patterned wool coat and red, knee-high rubber boots," according to all of the reports I've seen. So at least her feet would have stayed somewhat insulated and dry?

My experience with most puddle-boots is that they aren't insulated. I have some Muck Boots that are warmer, but really, they are not what I'd call warm. Red rubber boots don't seem as though they'd belong in an especially rigorous category. The tread might not be that great, either.

The unfortunate thing about puddle-boots is, yes, they might keep your feet dry, but they can also fill with water.

The outfit is a concern to me, especially if JA has gone off a trail, sidewalk, path, road.... And she might not be alert enough to keep her coat and boots on. Those items look like they'd be easy to fling off.

I'm not optimistic about this case, unfortunately.

 

[Hestia's Fire]

My experience with most puddle-boots is that they aren't insulated. I have some Muck Boots that are warmer, but really, they are not what I'd call warm. Red rubber boots don't seem as though they'd belong in an especially rigorous category. The tread might not be that great, either.

The unfortunate thing about puddle-boots is, yes, they might keep your feet dry, but they can also fill with water.

The outfit is a concern to me, especially if JA has gone off a trail, sidewalk, path, road.... And she might not be alert enough to keep her coat and boots on. Those items look like they'd be easy to fling off.

I'm not optimistic about this case, unfortunately.

That's a good point and I suppose it depends on the individual boots. I was thinking something along the line of insulated Hunter brand boots, but they very well could be something without insulation at all. I was thinking that they would at least be better to keep her feet dry than sneakers that could become wet and cold easily. Either way, I am also not very optimistic about this case, sadly, considering how much time she has been out there now.

 

[RickshawFan]

Julie's last seen location is the trail system near Sprague Valley Drive, Peaceful Valley, Washington state. It is near a lot of woods, wilderness and other features. It is heavily wooded and vast. There are not many roads at all especially in a southerly direction. There are vast woods/wilderness to the south and west. It looks very dense. Not good visibility from above. It is just difficult, that is all. That is not to say she will not be found, and that she has not managed to stay in somewhere with shelter. I hope they find her.

I believe we need a map to get the idea. I don't know the exact location you're citing, but here's the gist from Google. Yep, woods. There are also lakes.

 

[Happypetitvieux01]

My experience with most puddle-boots is that they aren't insulated. I have some Muck Boots that are warmer, but really, they are not what I'd call warm. Red rubber boots don't seem as though they'd belong in an especially rigorous category. The tread might not be that great, either.

The unfortunate thing about puddle-boots is, yes, they might keep your feet dry, but they can also fill with water.

The outfit is a concern to me, especially if JA has gone off a trail, sidewalk, path, road.... And she might not be alert enough to keep her coat and boots on. Those items look like they'd be easy to fling off.

I'm not optimistic about this case, unfortunately.

Nights are not getting warmer yet and weather for the area is awful with days and days of showers starting after next weekend. Really worried for her health if not in shelter And those boots are a big concern if not insulated (but still hope they are for this time of year).

 

[WingsOverTX]

I believe we need a map to get the idea. I don't know the exact location you're citing, but here's the gist from Google. Yep, woods. There are also lakes.

View attachment 409322

Kendall Lake looks like it could be a danger? I wonder how far it is from her last known location.

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

Last seen walking the network of trails near the Sprague Valley Drive vicinity.

Yes, it's a distance of approx. 6 miles from their house. So, still quite local to them.
But given her condition, I think a little walk around a small suburban park would've been better and more manageable.

I'm not seeing where the reference to Sprague Valley Drive came from and why it's 6 miles from their house. I see that she most likely lives on the opposite side of the state route 547/Kendall Rd, off of Peaceful Valley Dr, which is still a Maple Falls address. I would think the walk took place on the west side of Kendall Rd, unless they crossed the road to access the "Fire Trail".

 

[slowpoke]

I’m catching up, but your post made me wonder if anyone saw her partner at that time, alone. Hopefully this is all what it seems and just a terrible tragedy. Praying Julie is found soon and safe! All IMO and speculation.

ETA Changed husband to partner. Meant no disrespect

All the other reports I’ve read do say “partner”, but this one does say “husband”. If her walking partner was her husband, it seems unusual for the media not to say so, IMO.

Search launched for missing Maple Falls woman | Whatcom News

 

[Springrain]

I'm wondering if it wasn't a legal marriage and was more of a long-term, live-in partner/boyfriend situation but that they may have been known as "husband and wife"? I'm just guessing.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 15, 2023

Search continues for Whatcom County woman missing since March 10

Julie Montague-Ayers was on a walk with her husband when the couple got separated. Montague-Ayers has dementia.

www.king5.com

[...]

According to her husband, Roy Ayers, the couple was on their typical walk from their home with their dog that morning. As Ayers and his wife went back and forth over which direction to go, their dog ran off, which wasn’t unusual, according to Ayers.

“I took off after the dog and left Julie right here,” Ayers said, pointing to the spot at the beginning of a trail near his home in the Peaceful Valley neighborhood near Kendall.

[...]

"It wasn't the, like, wrong thing to do except afterward. I looked at it and, of course, it was the wrong thing to do - it was a mistake,” Ayers said.

Erin Suda, Julie’s daughter, said they had no reason to fear their mom would wander off.

"She's still very capable of navigating in the areas where she's most familiar,” Suda said. “She had been lost before when she was still driving and that was really scary, but we haven't lost her in a while."

[...]

Despite the official ground search being suspended, the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office said it's still working this case. They were out searching the trails on Wednesday. They plan to have dogs come back out in the next several days.

[...]

 

[WingsOverTX]

I'm wondering if it wasn't a legal marriage and was more of a long-term, live-in partner/boyfriend situation but that they may have been known as "husband and wife"? I'm just guessing.

Regardless of sexual orientation, the term husband for a man or wife for a woman is acceptable in all references to people in any legally recognized marriage. Spouse or partner may be used if requested or as a gender-neutral option.

— APStylebook (@APStylebook) January 10, 2023
SOURCE

 

[LadyL]

this case makes me so sad
she would be so scared

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

The dog's on a leash in the news report. The dog's on a leash on nabor's camera video where he is walking ahead of her on the street. Letting the dog get away from him, shows he can't control the dog if it is off-leash. So was the dog still on a leash when it ran away from him?

Search continues for Whatcom County woman missing since March 10

Julie Montague-Ayers was on a walk with her husband when the couple got separated. Montague-Ayers has dementia.

www.king5.com

 

[Hestia's Fire]

The dog's on a leash in the news report. The dog's on a leash on nabor's camera video where he is walking ahead of her on the street. Letting the dog get away from him, shows he can't control the dog if it is off-leash. So was the dog still on a leash when it ran away from him?

Search continues for Whatcom County woman missing since March 10

Julie Montague-Ayers was on a walk with her husband when the couple got separated. Montague-Ayers has dementia.

www.king5.com

This is exactly what I was wondering as well. The article quotes the husband as saying it wasn't unusual for the dog to run off. How does the dog run off if it's on a leash? Did he take the dog off the leash at some point? If so, why would you do that if you know the dog is going to run off and you have no voice control over it? I can't imagine taking a leash off a dog who is known to run off when I'm also walking with my spouse who has dementia.

 

[Gut_feeling]

This is exactly what I was wondering as well. The article quotes the husband as saying it wasn't unusual for the dog to run off. How does the dog run off if it's on a leash? Did he take the dog off the leash at some point? If so, why would you do that if you know the dog is going to run off and you have no voice control over it? I can't imagine taking a leash off a dog who is known to run off when I'm also walking with my spouse who has dementia.

Yes, my thoughts exactly. Husband states its not unusual for the dog to run off. That begs the question: What do you normally do when the dog runs off? Do you normally ask Julie to stay right there while you run after the dog? Because he goes on to say it clearly "was not the right thing to do". His statement makes it seem to me like this was a one time lapse in judgement, (but I may be reading too much into that.) If the dog running away is not unusual, then wouldn't the husband say something like "Julie always stays in one spot when I need to run after the dog". ? I am honestly not trying to jump to conclusions, it just seems odd.

Also, am I allowed to say he seems awfully "chill" and upbeat? His vulnerable wife has been gone for 5 days in dangerous weather. It may be that his faith is providing him comfort and strength, and he may be trying to keep it together for her daughter and family, but, don't people usually show a bit more emotion? Please let me know if I should edit this part out.

One more thing: her daughter mentioned that they had been discussing getting a tracker for Julie, how close were they to making that decision. I would be interested to know who exactly was pushing back on the tracker idea. Did Julie personally indicate she wasn't ready for one, or was it her husband?

 

[slowpoke]

MAR 15, 2023

Search continues for Whatcom County woman missing since March 10

Julie Montague-Ayers was on a walk with her husband when the couple got separated. Montague-Ayers has dementia.

www.king5.com

[...]

According to her husband, Roy Ayers, the couple was on their typical walk from their home with their dog that morning. As Ayers and his wife went back and forth over which direction to go, their dog ran off, which wasn’t unusual, according to Ayers.

“I took off after the dog and left Julie right here,” Ayers said, pointing to the spot at the beginning of a trail near his home in the Peaceful Valley neighborhood near Kendall.

[...]

"It wasn't the, like, wrong thing to do except afterward. I looked at it and, of course, it was the wrong thing to do - it was a mistake,” Ayers said.

Erin Suda, Julie’s daughter, said they had no reason to fear their mom would wander off.

"She's still very capable of navigating in the areas where she's most familiar,” Suda said. “She had been lost before when she was still driving and that was really scary, but we haven't lost her in a while."

[...]

Despite the official ground search being suspended, the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office said it's still working this case. They were out searching the trails on Wednesday. They plan to have dogs come back out in the next several days.

[...]

Ok, so now we know the walking partner indeed was her husband. Ugh, I’m glad he owns up to it being “the wrong thing to do - it was a mistake” (his words) to leave Julie behind to go after the dog.

But even in that neighbor’s surveillance video they’re not even walking together in the same frame of the camera’s view. He seemed to be way ahead with the dog on the leash. When they show her walking, he and the dog can’t be seen on camera (at least, I couldn’t see him). I feel their walking style was a mistake, too, sorry to say. Stay walking close together. So important.

MOO

 

[RickshawFan]

I'm not seeing where the reference to Sprague Valley Drive came from and why it's 6 miles from their house. I see that she most likely lives on the opposite side of the state route 547/Kendall Rd, off of Peaceful Valley Dr, which is still a Maple Falls address. I would think the walk took place on the west side of Kendall Rd, unless they crossed the road to access the "Fire Trail".

I shifted the map I posted above, trying to accommodate your info. My goal is just to give everyone a "flavor" of the area, but hopefully it's more in line with this location. I can see trails in the forest to the west of the built-up area. That must be where she got lost?


HERE's the link, so you can zoom in and really see the trails.