Aletha Gee Walton, 69, had been missing in Virginia for 8 days. Her family members were particularly worried about her health since she was in the early stages of dementia.
On May 17th, 2022, police started hunting for Walton after her family was unable to locate her. Her neighbors had last seen her two days before at her house, but no one knew where she’d gone. As days passed with no sightings, family and friends’ concerns grew. Nonetheless, cops continued to search with the assistance of their trusty K9.
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources’ Conservation Police was one of the teams hunting for Walton. Officer Chaffin and K9 Molly have just come from the DNR K9 School. They joined the search for the lost lady as soon as they returned to Virginia.
“We all simply broke down and wept.” We were at a loss for words. We assumed she had been k.i.d.n.apped or something. “We had no idea what had occurred,” Walton’s sister, Sandra Knight, said.
Virginia had tremendous heat and bad weather throughout the search, so Walton had to deal with it on her own. After a few days of searching, Molly assisted her human counterparts in locating Walton, who was around 0.8 miles away from her house in a densely forested region. She was lying alone on a stump, singing “Amazing Grace.”
Walton was spotted and checked by medical professionals before being transported to Centra Southside Community Hospital for additional assessment. As predicted, she was weary and dehydrated. Authorities have not released any information about her health or how she wound herself in the woods, but she seems to be doing well.
“I was so relieved that it had a beautiful conclusion,” Walton’s niece, Deidra Knight, said. At first, I didn’t know what to think; I was picturing the worst-case scenario.” But when they told me she was OK, I was overjoyed.
Walton’s family has had a difficult week, but they all believe that Walton’s homecoming is a miracle. They can finally relax and take a deep breath now that she’s unharmed and at home.
Thank you to K9 Molly and the whole Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources team. Walton may still be missing if it weren’t for their hard work and determination. Molly performed well for a dog that is new to her position. As a treat, she should receive more belly massages!
