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IONE – The body of Penelope Whitehead, 84, of Spokane, was found by Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s deputies on a remote dirt road around Cedar Creek in Ione Friday, March 6, a little after noon.
“A citizen found her laying in the roadway and called us,” Pend Oreille County Sheriff Glenn Blakeslee said.
Whitehead had been reported missing the day before out of the Spokane area. When asked why she came to be in Ione, Blakeslee said he thought there be some dementia involved. Her dog was still alive and with her on scene and was turned over to family members.
From the body’s location, deputies followed what they believed to be Whitehead’s footprints in the snow. The footprints were small and had a very short walking gate. They followed the footprints for approximately ½ mile and the prints led them to a vehicle that was stuck in the mud. The vehicle was registered to Whitehead.
The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s office responded to the scene, but the cause and manner of death are pending, according to the medical examiner.
