34-year-old Virginia woman missing a week found dead in Glacier National Park, rangers say
The body of a Virginia woman who went missing on a hike through Glacier National Park was found in a “steep and rocky” area of the grounds Sunday, park officials say.
Jennifer Coleman, 34, was reported missing Sept. 1 after she failed to return from a hike near Logan Pass in the sprawling Montana wilderness, according to a National Parks Service news release. After days of searching, crews located her remains near the Continental Divide.
“Rescuers will extract Coleman’s body when weather conditions permit,” park officials said, noting that it was too windy. “Although the end result was not the one searchers hoped for, public tips were key to a faster resolution of the search.”
Crews began scouring the park after Coleman’s car was found in the Logan Pass parking lot on Wednesday afternoon. As many as 50 people people had joined the search party as of Sunday, the release states.
A cause of death is still being investigated.
The AWARE Foundation, a Virginia-based nonprofit that advocates for missing and endangered people, confirmed the news on its Facebook page. Coleman’s parents, Hal and Sharon Coleman, serve as director and treasurer of the organization.
“It is with heavy heart that we have to share this news,” the group wrote. “Details surrounding this tragedy are not available at this time. Please respect the family as they process their grief & loss. Please also respect us with the foundation as we comfort the Coleman’s.”
Jennifer Coleman’s friends had last heard from her via text message on Aug. 30, the foundation told WTVR in a statement. She was supposed to pick up her dogs from a boarding facility the next day, but never arrived. Local sheriff’s officials went to her campsite to do a wellness check and found her personal belongings.
Coleman’s dad thanked the public for its support after receiving “the worse [sic] possible news” about his daughter.
“People have been a blessing to us,” Hal Coleman said in a statement, according to WDBJ. “We are thankful and appreciative to the bottom of our hearts. No words to describe the grief.”
This story was originally published September 6, 2021 at 1:35 PM with the headline "34-year-old Virginia woman missing a week found dead in Glacier National Park, rangers say."