A Portland family is still waiting for answers nearly a month after a 78-year-old woman disappeared from her Montavilla home, and the discovery of her vehicle in rural southwest Washington has added a troubling new piece to the case.
Claudia Grandy was last seen on Sunday, July 26, at her home in the 7600 block of Southeast Alder Street in Portland’s Montavilla neighborhood, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
Her family told investigators that Grandy has experienced cognitive decline, although police say she is otherwise physically fit.
More than two weeks after she vanished, investigators received a significant lead.
Grandy’s silver Nissan Rogue, bearing Oregon license plate 915NQC, was located on Sunday, August 9, somewhere in rural Skamania County, Washington.
Police have not publicly disclosed exactly where the SUV was found.
The discovery shifted part of the search north of the Columbia River into Skamania County, an area known for its vast stretches of forest, mountain roads, and sparsely populated terrain. The county reaches deep into the Columbia River Gorge and Cascade foothills, making searches there potentially difficult depending on the location and conditions.
Since Grandy’s vehicle was located, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office has carried out two search-and-rescue operations, but crews have not yet found her.
Another challenge for investigators is that Grandy apparently left without her cellphone. Police said the phone was found at her Portland home, removing one potential way of determining where she may have traveled after she was last seen.
Authorities say there is currently no evidence suggesting foul play.
Grandy is described as a white woman who stands approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs around 150 pounds. Police say she has pierced ears and a mole on one of her ears.
Her disappearance now stretches from a residential Portland neighborhood to rural Washington, leaving investigators and family members trying to determine what happened between the time she left home and the discovery of her SUV.
For people familiar with Skamania County, even seemingly insignificant information could prove important. Anyone who traveled through rural parts of the county around late July or early August and remembers seeing a silver Nissan Rogue, a stranded motorist, or something unusual along a road or turnout may have information investigators need.
Police are asking anyone who sees Grandy to call 911 immediately.
People with information that is not time-sensitive can contact the Portland Police Bureau’s Missing Persons Unit at [email protected] and reference case number 26-223724.
As the search continues, authorities are hoping someone may remember seeing Grandy or her vehicle during the days between her disappearance in Portland and the discovery of her SUV in Washington.
