Missing elderly woman found dead in Amador County

An elderly woman who has been missing since last week was found dead Sunday in Amador County, the Amador County Sheriff’s Department said.

Christine Merten, 79, of Pioneer, was reported missing Wednesday in the area of McKenzie Drive in Pioneer around 4 p.m. The sheriff’s department said Merten suffered from Alzheimer’s and she was found dead just north of her home in rugged, brushy terrain.

The Amador County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will determine the cause of death, but the sheriff’s department said there is no suspicion that foul play was involved.

Hundreds of people in ground and air search teams assisted the sheriff’s department, including many volunteers from the community, sheriff’s said.

“Our thoughts are with Christine’s family and friends during this difficult time … we appreciate the overwhelming community support,” the sheriff’s department said Sunday.

This story was originally published April 9, 2017 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Missing elderly woman found dead in Amador County."