A city worker was inspecting drainage pipes in West Valley City, Utah when he made a grisly discovery: the body of a young woman floating in the Jordan River. The body, which police believe had been there for a long time, was obscured by leaves and other plant debris.
Medical examiners performed an autopsy and identified the body as Kayelyn Louder, a 30-year-old social worker who vanished without a trace in September. According to police, Louder left her Murray, Utah, condo on Sept. 27 – leaving behind her phone, keys and car. Surveillance video showed an agitated, barefoot Louder running through a parking lot before she vanished into the night.
On the days before Louder's disappearance, she made a series of confusing 911 calls, first reporting a fight at a wedding and then reporting that an intruder was in her apartment. Police investigated both alleged crimes, but found no evidence to support either of them.
Police have been unable to determine a cause or manner of death. On Wednesday, Murray Police Officer Kenny Bass told The Salt Lake Tribune that determining a cause of death will be "very difficult, extremely difficult."
The news has devastated Louder's family, who had held out hope for her safe return.
"We are brokenhearted with the news of Kayelyn's body being found, but are also grateful to know where she is," the family said in a statement. "This has been an extremely difficult 9+ weeks for all involved. We hope that, through all of our efforts, that she has been able to see how much she is loved and cared for."
Missing Utah Social Worker Kayelyn Louder Found Dead
Kayelyn Louder
Kayelyn Louder/Facebook
@stevehelling
12/05/2014 AT 03:25 PM EST
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