BOISE, Idaho — It's been more than a week since a Boise woman left home for a road trip and eight days since anyone's seen her, but family members say her car was found Friday, June 30, on Succor Creek Road in Malheur County, Oregon. Now the Malheur County Sherriff has confirmed that the search has been suspended.
"Malheur County is making a significant effort to locate Gwen. From July 1-6 several organized search and rescue efforts have launched, including more than 50 people on Thursday the 6th, which included search and rescue operations from four eastern Oregon counties and a large contingent from the Boise area. We appreciate Malheur County Sheriffs office for working with us to supplement the effort with a number of people. Searchers collectively walked 300 miles and covered 1,000 acres that day. The day before a helicopter search of the area was conducted. On Saturday the 8th a search of Succor Creek by kayak was conducted. All efforts to date have failed to find Gwen. While Malheur County has suspended the search for now, efforts will continue as new information comes forward. And we are working with them on mapping so we can keep track of the continued efforts that are covered by volunteers with the appropriate gear," a news release stated.
The last known contact anyone had with Gwendolyn Margaret Brunelle, 27, was at around noon Tuesday, June 27, at the Sinclair Station in Jordan Valley, Oregon. She was believed to be traveling in a gray 2008 Honda Element with Idaho license plate 5WT6X. Her family said she left Boise on Monday, June 26.
In a post on Facebook, Brunelle's family said her car was found June 30 on Succor Creek Road about four-tenths of a mile west of Highway 95. Several rescue crews, including Malheur County Search and Rescue, Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue, the Ontario Fire Department, and volunteers searched for Brunelle on foot, on horseback, and by using drones, dogs and UTVs.
"Our interest has really been around the vehicle that we located," Malheur County Undersheriff David Kesey said. "The evidence with the vehicle kind of indicated she was there at some point, so we're just really trying to search that area to see if we can locate her. We've had airplanes, we had a helicopter up [Wednesday], we've had ground crews. We have ongoing searches planned. It's a big area, it's a rough area. So, it really takes a lot of work to say that you have cleared that area."
Brunelle is 5-foot-7, about 160 pounds, with brown eyes and medium brown hair.
"She may have wandered from the car or was abducted," according to a flyer her family and friends have been sharing. "She may present as disoriented."
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Gwen Brunelle is asked to call Boise Police at 208-377-6790 or the Malheur County Sheriff's Office at 541-473-5125.
This story will be updated when any new information is confirmed.
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