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PORTLAND, Ore. » The body of missing Oregon woman Jennifer Huston was found Tuesday, and investigators said there was no evidence of foul play in the mystery that gripped the Pacific Northwest for nearly two weeks.
Newberg-Dundee police were notified at 10:30 a.m. that a property owner found Huston’s green 1999 Lexus SUV on a rural road about 25 miles southwest of Huston’s home in Dundee. The vehicle did not appear to have been in a crash, and detectives discovered Huston’s body less than 50 yards away, Capt. Jeff Kosmicki said.
Kosmicki said the case remains an active investigation, but he noted there was no sign of foul play and nothing to indicate the public was in danger. He declined to say if investigators believe Huston took her own life of suffered some type of medical emergency. The cause of death could be released as early as Wednesday.
"We’re keeping an open mind, but I think we’ve got a pretty good idea of what happened," Kosmicki said.
The 38-year-old mother of two young boys disappeared July 24, sparking an intense search and extensive Internet speculation. Kosmicki said he was fairly certain search helicopters had flown over the Sheridan property where the vehicle was found.
"As you know, a lot of Yamhill County is pretty rural and wooded areas," he said. "So that would make it absolutely difficult to find."
Video footage from that day she disappeared showed her withdrawing a small amount of money from an ATM, fueling her SUV and buying Gatorade, trail mix and what police described as a nonlethal amount of sleeping pills. She was discovered Tuesday wearing the same clothes she wore July 24.
Her husband, Kallen Huston, told reporters shortly after his wife disappeared that she had complained of headaches in recent days. The couple would have celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary next week.
The Huston family, through police, said it wanted to be left alone to grieve.
