Prineville Police are asking the public’s help finding an 83-year-old woman who went missing Sunday morning.
Betty Counts is 5’6″ about 165 lbs, grey hair, green eyes, wearing jean shorts, and driving a white, Infiniti, EX3, with Oregon License Plate 873MNT.
Areas of Interest: Washington (Central/Eastern), Idaho, Montana, and Oregon.
Last seen in Ephrata, Washington at about 1:03 a.m., on July 4th.
Last phone contact was July 4th, at about 9:30 a.m., possibly near Moscow, Idaho.
Betty Counts’ husband reported her missing around 7 a.m. on July 4th, according to Capt. Larry Seymour.
While investigating this, police spoke to the reporting party again, about two hours after taking the initial report.
Sgt. Wilson learned the reporting party had spoken to Counts over the phone after he had reported her as missing.
At that time Counts reported she was in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho at some point, and got turned around while looking for fuel to return home.
He encouraged her to call 911, but she didn’t think she needed help. When he asked her for a landmark she said she saw a sign that said: “Moscow this way.”
Since that phone call, no one has heard from Counts.
Counts mentioned on Saturday she possibly was going to visit a friend in Eugene, but prior to leaving she said she might visit her granddaughter in Kennewick, Wash.
Seymour said Counts also mentioned visiting a family member in Montana. (It was reported Counts was not taking medications nor had she been diagnosed with Dementia, but does forget things sometimes and may have early onset of Dementia.)
After Counts was assigned as a missing person we received a call from Ephrata Police Department.
They claimed to have received a 911 call from Counts on July 4th at about 1:03 a.m. where she said to them she was in a white “fusion” in the US Bank parking lot and she was lost.
She claimed she was trying to get home but didn’t know her address.
Counts was offered a room to stay in for the evening, but she refused and just wanted to know how to get to I-90.
Officers reported she left the area headed south out of Ephrata.
“We have had a 30-minute ping set up on Counts’ phone, but her phone has been off for the majority of the day,” Seymour said.
Detectives are working with the FBI to try and navigate her path up to our last phone contact with Counts, and also working on tracking her financials to better concentrate our efforts in the areas she may be in.
Counts is listed in LEDS/NCIC so if she is contacted again she will be taken in protective custody to be reunited with her family.
If you locate Counts or see her vehicle please call police immediately.
PPD Case #21000943, and case agents are Sgt. Wilson and Det. Vollmer. You can reach them by calling 541-447-4168, or by email at tvollmer@prinevillepd.org or swilson@prinevillepd.org.
