The National Park Service says "Alice" Yu Xie was reported missing on January 15 after she was planning to hike to the top of Yosemite Falls. Until last week, the only concrete clue as to what might have happened to the women was Mrs. Sund's wallet, found intact off a highway in Modesto, two hours from El Portal, four days after the trio disappeared. The mysterious disappearance of the three women had drawn national attention and landed them on the cover of People magazine. A little closer to the edge of that mountain. She was last seen and/or heard from on Monday evening. During their investigation of Xies death, investigators reached out to Horn a second time to ask whether she noticed the woman carrying a cellphone. Explore the latest news & podcasts. In what authorities are regarding as a miracle, a Texas woman was found alive in a vehicle that was discovered submerged in a lake two days after she was reported missing. The news was deeply troubling to Horn, who knew in her bones that the woman likely fell off the cliff. Enter a date in the format M/D (e.g., 1/1), https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/three-women-are-murdered-at-yosemite, Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte becomes the first Native American woman to graduate from medical school, Wells and Fargo start shipping and banking company, Irving Berlin copyrights the biggest pop song of the early 20th century, Natural gas explosion kills nearly 300 at Texas school, Nationalist Chinese forces invade mainland China, War Relocation Authority is established in United States. Police say the photos of her are dated, as she now has medium-length brown hair. Xie is described as having neck-length black hair. Missing Woman Found Alive Inside Sunken Jeep That a Fisherman Spotted on Texas Lake, Police Say The woman likely died "at least several weeks" ago, Petito's mother reported her daughter missing earlier this week after her daughter's boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, returned to the couple's Florida home in their shared van without Petito on September 1. Exclusive shows & extensions. the boy was found alive, entangled in briars a Glad the fisherman saw it. Riess was found conscious and alert; however, she was suffering from injuries related to exposure and required air transport (to) Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, NV via Care Flight helicopter, the sheriffs office said in a statement. Steph Curry killed off the Kings with a smile, On an island of resorts, this Hawaii hotel is the budget option, photo on the National Park Services Instagram account, discovered at the base of Upper Yosemite Fall on Jan. 16, Michael Ghiglieri, co-author of "Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite,", Des Linden unveils new book, shares race day must-haves, In search of vegan food, I found a world-class Mendocino inn, results of a Freedom of Information Act submitted by Outforia, He had one of Yosemite's most unusual jobs. The most informative, researched, and entertaining true crime stories on the internet. This is a carousel. The National Park Service said "Alice" Yu Xie was hiking to the Upper Yosemite Fall overlook when she went missing last week. Two other people who disappeared in Yosemite National Park remain missing persons. Thank God I was alive, said Angelica Gaitan, 46, who was found Saturday by Roland Visbal while floating 1.2 miles off Puerto Colombia. Anyone can read what you share. On March 19, 1999, law enforcement officials discover the charred bodies of forty-two-year-old Carol Sund and sixteen-year-old Silvina Pelosso in the trunk of their Stay up to date with what you want to know. According to the Yosemite Hikes website, the strenuous hike to the top of the falls is the equivalent of taking the stairs up the Empire State Building, twice. Witnesses who saw her at the crash scene said she refused help. The fact that she was recovered alive was very lucky.' By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Published: Apr. Her next of kin have been notified, the park service said. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. Changing the day will navigate the page to that given day in history. Residents and business people in towns near where the burned car was found say they spotted the three a day or even two after the last confirmed sighting, but investigators say that many of the sightings cannot possibly be true. Park officials say she was a 41-year-old who went to Yosemite from It takes anywhere from six to 10 hours to complete a roundtrip, and the Yosemite Hikes site cautions the steep hike is the equivalent of taking the stairs up the Empire State Building twice. Steph Curry killed off the Kings with a smile, On an island of resorts, this Hawaii hotel is the budget option, Des Linden unveils new book, shares race day must-haves, In search of vegan food, I found a world-class Mendocino inn, He had one of Yosemite's most unusual jobs. A WOMAN went missing from a campsite in Utah in November 2020. Florida's Fourth Estate: Barton Beef (12-02-22) TAMPA, Fla. The cause of death of a Florida toddler found dead in an alligators mouth last month has been released. Investigators found her about 5:30 p.m. in the bottom of a desert ravine about a half mile northeast of where her vehicle was found off Apache Drive in Stagecoach. Multiple people have gone missing in national parks across the country over the past week as authorities search for Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old woman who was last heard from while visiting Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. On March 18, 1999, a man found Carol Sunds rental car in a secluded area 100 yards north of Highway 108, near Long Barn, California. Commenters took to social media to share how incredible the rescue was. The drop from the top of the waterfall to the base is approximately 1,400 feet, according to a video on the parks website. Subscriptions. Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen. The hike to Yosemite Falls is popular but very challenging. Authorities are searching for a 41-year-old woman who went missing in Last modified on Tue 29 Nov 2022 11.11 EST. Some committed suicide. Copyright 2023 KFSN-TV. Then he actually fell. 9, 2023 at 5:33 PM PDT. Either that day or the next morning, she left for a hike to the top of Yosemite Falls, authorities said. According to NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System), more than 600,000 persons go missing in the United States every year. Anyone who has any information regarding the whereabouts of Nike Toni Riess is urged to contact the Lyon County Sheriffs Office at 775-463-6620 or by email at detective@lyon-county.org. A woman was found dead in Yosemite. The missing-persons post states that Xie, a 41-year-old Chinese national living in the United States is believed to have gone on a day hike to the Upper Yosemite Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen. Peter Jackson, 74, went missing after texting his son on Sept. 17, 2016 that he was hiking to Yosemite. 6:40 P.M. UPDATE: Nike Riess has been found alive, the Lyon County Sheriffs Office reported. In 1964, 16-year-old John Bernard Thomas II climbed down to the falls and accidentally slipped in. Sandra Johnsen-Hughes, 54, has been missing since July 4, 2020. The time stamps on her photos suggest she last saw Xie about 3 p.m., Horn says, and everyone was supposed to be out of the park by 5 p.m. It seemed like most people chose to stop where I was instead of taking more time to continue on, Horn says. WebAngelica Gaitan went missing for two years before she was found alive floating in the sea by two baffled fishermen. Juli Sunds body was found thirty miles away a week after the car was found. He later killed Silvina Pelosso and put her body, along with Carol Sunds, in their rented Pontiac Gran Prix. Carole Sund, who was 42, had taken her eldest daughter Julie, 15, and Silvina, 16, who was visiting the family in Eureka, to Yosemite for a holiday on Presidents' Day Weekend. After the women were reported missing, police questioned Stayner but didnt believe the clean-cut handyman, who had no history of violence, was involved. Police can confirm that the missing woman has been found on Wednesday. FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The hiker who went missing at Yosemite National Park last week has been found dead. Sometimes its hard to know where that limit is.. LYON COUNTY, Nev. (KOLO) - 7:05 P.M. UPDATE: Nike Riess has been found alive, the Lyon County Sheriffs Office reported Wednesday. She had been in the water before that. She is safely reunited with friends, he said. The discovery of her body led investigators to Cary Stayner, a thirty-seven-year-old man who worked at the Cedar Lodge motel, where the Sunds were last seen. People come up for the day who dont hang out in the mountains. While the car and everything near it was burned, the roll of film found among other items strewn near the charred car, was intact. A view of Half Dome from Upper Yosemite Fall. (LCSO) 6:40 P.M. UPDATE: Nike Riess has been found alive, the Lyon County Sheriffs Office reported. The family saw further tragedy when Jesse Stayner, Cary and Stevens uncle, was shot to death in 1990 during a bungled robbery attempt. All Rights Reserved. A woman reported missing on Jan. 15 was found dead the next day, Yosemite Park officials announced Friday. Horn lives close to the park and works as a bartender in the gateway town of Mariposa, allowing her to visit frequently. In 2019, his backpack was discovered between Aspen Valley and Smith Peak. But big questions still remain in a case that has captured the attention of much of the nation: Who killed these women, where and why? Following his escape, a television movie, I Know My First Name is Steven, dramatized the incident. Local paramedics treated the woman at the scene before she was taken to an area hospital for further treatment in unknown condition. Authorities announced on Jan. 24 that Xies body had been discovered at the base of Upper Yosemite Fall. But he added that Laundrie retaining an attorney suggests to him that police also might want to look within a 1-mile radius of Laundrie's parents' home for a body. The local woman was found on the north side of Roney Rock - a rocky shoreline in north Wexford. Steven Stayner died in a tragic motorcycle accident when he was twenty-four. Cary Stayner was convicted in all four murders and sentenced to death. Extending the hike for a little under a mile to Yosemite Point rewards hikers with highly desirable views of Half Dome, along with panoramic views of other peaks. At a news conference this evening in Sonora, the Tuolumne County seat, James Maddock, the F.B.I. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. We strive for accuracy and fairness. She is 5'0" tall, and weighs less than 100 pounds. Ashley Harrell is an Associate Editor covering California's parks for SFGATE. ''It's hard to sit and wait for the answers.''. However, all these leads went up in smoke in July when Joie Ruth Armstrong, a twenty-six-year-old Yosemite Park worker, was brutally killed and decapitated near her cabin in the park. Tiera Strand. I think one of the reasons Yosemite has a lot of rescues and a lot of people getting hurt is that its a really visited park, Torlano says. The local woman was found on the north side of Roney Rock - a rocky shoreline in north Wexford. Xie was found dead at the base of Upper Yosemite Fall on Saturday, January 16. But PI John Van Steenkiste also said Local authorities arrived to the scene with a recovery crew and managed to pull the Jeep out. Missing woman found alive; taken to Reno by Care Flight, Yosemite National Park temporarily closing, Suspect chased from Reno to Truckee had 60-mile Calif. chase in stolen truck, Westbound I-80 reopens after fatal wrong-way crash near Fernley, Public may hear sirens and loudspeaker chatter during Air Guard training at Reno airport, Restaurant Fire Closes Fernley Main Street, Man killed after being hit by train in Elko. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. In 1968, 19-year-old James William Gibson Jr. walked off the trail, away from his friends, and was later found at the base. On the evening of February 15, 1999, Carol Sund of Eureka, California, along with her fifteen-year-old daughter Juli and their family friend Silvina Pelosso, from Argentina, were staying at the Cedar Lodge in the town of El Portal, California, near Yosemite. Unfortunately, while the rugged mountain terrain of the countrys national parks is what makes them so spectacular and popular with visitors, it also contributes to the number one cause of deaths, the website states. You can navigate days by using left and right arrows. "They're trying to stay as close as they can to the Grand Teton National Park. In awe of the falls, views, etc. They were last seen alive, according to the authorities, on the night of Feb. 15, when they left the restaurant adjacent to the Cedar Lodge in El Portal, a remote outpost at the western entrance to the park. A 41-year-old woman who went missing during a hike at Yosemite National Park in mid-January was found dead last week at the base of a waterfall, the National Police investigating early morning homicide in Porterville, Child among 5 killed by drunk gunman still on loose: TX police, 1 missing, 2 rescued after getting swept away in Kaweah River. She seemed happy that day to me, Horn wrote in a Facebook post. During his research for the book, Ghiglieri came across six deaths involving Upper Yosemite Fall. Neighbors say that in recent days investigators have questioned them about the man and the Sund-Pelosso case. 'The woman was missing since Tuesday night and we located her with the aid of Rescue 117 on Wednesday afternoon. 4. Later that day, in a surprising confession to FBI agent Jeff Rinek, Stayner admitted to killing the Sunds, Pelosso and Armstrong. The woman had been reported missing since 5 April by the police department of Longview, Texas, according to a statement from the local Marion county He was convicted of the other three counts of murder in 2002 and sentenced to death. Also, its close to the city. Cary Stayner, a handyman at the lodge where the women were last seen a month before, later confessed to their murders as well as those of two other women. Crews have been searching for the missing 30-year-old in a vast desert area around the town of Stagecoach using drones, dogs, helicopters, and Search and Rescue teams. Anyone with information is asked to call 209-372-0216 or 209-379-1992. Police say Petito's last known location is believed to be in the state's Grand Teton National Park. Police can confirm that the missing woman has been found on Wednesday. Goodness, 38, went missing after leaving her Gardens home. Petito, a van-life vlogger, last spoke to her family in late August. A religious group is strangling access to Calif.'s most beautiful waterfalls. "Police can confirm that the missing woman has been found on Wednesday. Stayner was tracked down and caught at a nudist colony in Northern California. NBC Universal, Inc. A California woman who disappeared while vacationing in South Florida has been found alive, Miami Police officials said Thursday. Cape Town central community policing forum chairperson Marc Truss said Goodness had been found unharmed. WebMU Podcasts. Investigators, who believed she had been murdered the previous day, questioned Stayner and searched his truck, but let him go. WebThe women, along with Sunds daughter Juli, had been missing since February when they were last seen alive at the Cedar Lodge near Yosemite National Park. A photo of Yosemite Falls on Jan. 14, the day "Alice" Yu Xie hiked to the top and fell from a cliff. Xie is not the first person to lose her life while hiking Upper Yosemite Fall, but according to Michael Ghiglieri, co-author of "Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite," she is the first woman. Spots such as Taft Point, Nevada Fall and Half Dome have all seen deaths over the last few years, often when people were trying to capture the perfect photo without being fully aware of the dangers of their surroundings, the website reported. His comments come amid an ongoing search for. Police can confirm that the missing woman has been found on Wednesday. Underneath, a caption read, Missing Person: Alice Yu Xie.. See the article in its original context from. Missing Woman Found Alive Inside Sunken Jeep That a Fisherman Spotted on Texas Lake, Police Say The woman likely died "at least several weeks" ago, the LPD said. He reported observing a black Jeep submerged about 40 feet from the Woodys camp boat ramp, said the Marion county sheriffs offices statement. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. The Yosemite Horror. Authorities are searching for a 41-year-old woman who went missing in Yosemite National Park last week. Some lost their lives after attempting to swim above the falls, others inadvertently ended up in the water or were posing for photographs when they fell. Photo: Tiera Strand/Facebook. Riesss family says it is very uncharacteristic of her to leave the house with her dog, and to then leave it in the car, regardless of where she was going. The woman's cause of death has not been released. I passed her on the trail and we said hi, and I thanked her for letting me pass, Horn says. A third man, who has convictions for attempted murder and rape, and who grew up near where the charred car was found and now lives in Modesto, was arrested last week on charges that he shot an officer who tried to stop him for a routine traffic violation. Partway up the steep climb to the top of the tallest waterfall in North America, she encountered another solo hiker, a middle-aged Asian woman with a green backpack. He refused to comment on whether they were close to making an arrest, on how investigators had located the third body, and on the cause of death for any of the victims. A world-renowned endurance athlete who went missing in California's Yosemite National Park has been found dead. They shouldn't bother. "This hike is a challenging workout. But PI John Van Steenkiste also said someone with strong survival skills could survive. She is safely reunited Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Current one is: March 18. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Anyone with information is asked to contact the National Park Service. Then, on July 22, 1999, the decapitated body of Joie Armstrong, a twenty-six-year-old Yosemite naturalist was found near her cabin in Yosemites Foresta region. The hikers contacted the sheriffs office to report found property. The 53-year-old woman has been missing since April 8, 2020. Now he's retiring, Why the Pacific Ocean turned pink off an area of the Calif. coast, A trip down the most mysterious road in California, A woman was found dead in Yosemite. Anyone with information is asked to call the Lyon County Sheriffs Office at 775-463-6620. Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie confirmed her safety to News24. But a private investigator told Insider the chance of finding someone alive two weeks after they've gone missing is slim. (modern). Its just so tragic.. A mom who vanished after her family claims she was assaulted Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Published on April 24, 2023 02:08 PM. Although the womans body was discovered at the base of Upper Yosemite Fall on Jan. 16, a week went by before the Park Service announced her death. Across the country, falls accounted for 245 deaths in national parks in the past decade. According to the results of a Freedom of Information Act submitted by Outforia, an outdoors website based in Oslo, Norway, Yosemite is the second-deadliest national park in the United States, with 126 deaths recorded from 2010 to 2020. A private investigator told Insider the chance of finding a missing person alive after 2 weeks in the wild is "minimal." They also wanted to know what Xies mood was like, Horn says. Authorities said hikers found abandoned gear and supplies belonging to Sandra strewn about her campsite on July 2, 2020, including a tent. She kind of waved at me and I said hi again., The woman was all smiles, Horn says, and she felt a camaraderie with her, a moment of connection. As the only other woman alone up there, I feel like she focused on me and I focused on her., Two days later, Horn saw the womans face again, in a photo on the National Park Services Instagram account. All Rights Reserved. Juli Sunds body The fact that she was recovered alive was very lucky.' And in 2005, a 21-year-old Irishman named Shane Michael Kinsella drank a considerable amount of wine, Ghiglieri says, and posed for a photo as if he were falling into the water. It is not clear why she was listed missing for What happened to Xie next isnt clear, and the Park Service has not revealed where her backpack was found. Van Steenkiste did provide a sliver of hope, though, telling Insider that it wouldn't be unlikely for someone to be found alive after weeks missing in a national park if they had strong survival skills. Tiera Strand. Results of DNA tests are expected next week. Deciding they wanted to speak with him further, authorities tracked down Stayner on July 24 at the Laguna Del Sol nudist camp in Wilton, California. In a setting of beauty and grandeur, a twisted soul was on the loose, a murderer who revived gnawing fears that our national parks are no longer Harvey Morse, a private investigator for Florida-based private investigator Locators International Inc., said the general likelihood of finding a person alive after they've been missing in the wild for two weeks is "minimal.". Hopefully all will go well, another user commented. All rights reserved. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. According to Marc Truss, chairperson of Cape Towns central community policing forum, Goodness was discovered Out of a total of about 1,200 deaths since the parks establishment in 1890, 53 have involved incidents with waterfalls, Ghiglieri says. I am pretty sure I was the last person to interact with her, Horn says. Goodness, 38, went missing after leaving her Gardens home. He said the case was being designated ''a major case'' so that the authorities could bring as many resources as they needed to solve the crime. Park officials say Xie arrived in Yosemite from Mariposa. 3 A woman reported missing on Jan. 15 was found dead the next day, Yosemite Park officials announced Friday. With the assistance of the wrecker service, fisherman, and Marion county deputies, a female was safely rescued from the submerged Jeep, wrote the sheriffs office. 'The woman was missing since Tuesday night and we located her with the aid of Rescue 117 on Wednesday afternoon. hot line over the last week. Authorities found one in her vehicle and the other at a convenience store in Stagecoach. Published on April 24, 2023 02:08 PM. "Police can confirm that the missing woman has been found on Wednesday. Steven later died in a 1989 motorcycle accident. I was a wreck. The women, along with Sunds daughter Juli, had been missing since February when they were last seen alive at the Cedar Lodge near Yosemite National Park. All were young men. Woman had been reported missing since 5 April but on 7 April a local fisher spotted a black Jeep almost completely underwater. 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As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. After seeing the post, Horn called right away. But on Jan. 16, Horn says her roommate hiked up Yosemite Falls and saw search-and-rescue flags along the side of the falls that Horn believes were likely evidence markers. We love California's parks just as much as you do, so we have a newsletter that covers them from top to bottom. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Theres nothing romantic about it.. Anna Horn at the top of Upper Yosemite Fall. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content.