Story Published:
Jul 5, 2009 at 11:40 PM EST
Story Updated:
Jul 5, 2009 at 11:40 PM EST
AUGUSTA, Ga. - After days of looking, the search for a missing elderly woman ended Sunday when deputies found her body in a neighborhood two miles away from where she went missing.
Deputies say they found the body of 85-year-old Elizabeth Bert lying next to a fence 75 yards from Clarkston Road in a neighborhood two miles away from her personal care facility.
“I know she’s in a better place but it’s still hard just knowing she was out there in that heat,” Bert’s son, Randy Williams said.
Williams was there with volunteers when they found his mom.
“I was 50 yards away,” Williams said. "I’m just glad I got closure now, because I was determined, no matter what, to find my mom.”
Bert suffered from Alzheimer’s and Diabetes.
“The coroner told me she didn’t suffer from what he can tell; she just sat down because she got tired. She sat down against a fence,” Williams said.
Deputies, volunteers as well as family members had searched for Bert since she wondered away from her Personal Care facility on Thursday.
“My heart went out to the family, so I thought it was appropriate to go search, because I would want someone to do the same if it was one of my family members,” volunteer, Tonya Rushen said.
The search started after Bert walked away from House of Life Personal Care Home at 6:00 in the morning Thursday.
“[The staff member] said, [Bert] was sitting in the chair when she went into the Bathroom. When she came out Bert was gone,” said Jennie Dukes from House of Life Personal Care Home.
Dukes had been looking after Bert for a year now and says she was like family. Dukes has five other patients and says she has never had something like this happen before.
“I’m very sorry this happened, you know, we don’t take people’s life for granted. We’re here to help take care of people and we take care of them 100 percent,” Dukes said.
The Richmond County Coroner is still trying to find out how long she was out there before she died. A neighbor had seen Bert resting by a stop sign in his neighborhood two days ago.
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