By Logan Bagett on Thursday, December 16th, 2021 in More Top Stories
CONDON, OR – UPDATE: (From the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office)
An extensive search for Autumn Jones has concluded for the day due to darkness and weather conditions. More than 70 searchers covered approximately 2,700 acres in the vicinity of where Jones’ vehicle was found on December 15. Searchers used drones, ATVs and tracking dogs, and traveled by horseback and walked over the rolling terrain. Conditions challenged search efforts, and overnight snow increased difficulty. Despite the exhaustive search, crews were not able to locate Autumn Jones, and her whereabouts remain unknown.“I want to emphasize the quality and professionalism of the search teams that have reinforced the efforts of our local agencies. We are very appreciative of their support,” Sheriff Gary Bettencourt said. “We are committed to finding Autumn Jones.”The searchers will resume early Friday morning.
PREVIOUSLY POSTED: (Press release from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office)
Multi-agency search and rescue missions continue today for a missing Boardman woman near Condon, Oregon. Autumn Jones, 22, left her family’s residence in Morrow County on November 27. She told her family she was going for a drive. Around 1:30 a.m., on November 28, Jones called her family and stated she was lost. Using a cell phone application, her family placed Jones in Wheeler County. However, after an initial search, she was not located.
On November 29, a mail carrier reported seeing Jones’ car, a red 2014 Volkswagen Jetta, near Fossil. Sheriff’s deputies from Wheeler, Morrow and Grant Counties coordinated search teams to locate Jones in the following days, however, she nor her car were found.
On December 15, hunters found Jones’ unoccupied vehicle in a canyon near Condon. Jones remains missing.
Autumn Jones is 5 feet, 10 inches tall, has blue eyes, medium-length brown hair, and weighs about 300 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black Riverside T-shirt, black sweatshirt, black tennis shoes and possibly a black Carhartt coat. Autumn was driving a 2014 red Volkswagen Jetta wagon with an expired Washington State temporary registration in the rear window and an All-Star Cars dealer plate.
If you have seen Jones, her car, or have other information about her disappearance, you are asked to contact the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office immediately at 541-351-9530.
We want to acknowledge the many agencies and residents who have helped in the search and that are present today, including, but not limited to, the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office, Grant County Search and Rescue, Hood River County Search and Rescue, Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue, Wasco County Search and Rescue, Deschutes County Search and Rescue, Wheeler County Search and Rescue, Gilliam County Road Department, North Gilliam County Rural Fire District, South Gilliam County Rural Fire Department, South Gilliam County Ambulance Service and local volunteers.
Updates will be provided through the Gilliam County Facebook page.