An 83-year-old Prineville woman is missing after she left her home Saturday morning. According to the Prineville Police Department, Betty Counts is 5’6″ about 165 lbs., grey hair, green eyes, wearing jean shorts, and driving a white, Infiniti, EX3, with Oregon License Plate 873MNT. Areas of Interest: Washington (Central/Eastern), Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. Last seen in Ephrata, Washington at about 1:03 a.m., on July 4th. Last phone contact was July 4th, at about 930 AM, possibly near Moscow, Idaho.
On July 4th, at about 7:00 a.m., Betty’s husband reported her as missing after she left on Saturday after a minor argument. Earlier, she had mentioned possibly visiting a friend in Eugene, but prior to leaving she said she may visit her granddaughter in Kennewick, Washington. Betty had also mentioned visiting a family member in Montana. (It was reported Betty was not taking medications nor had she been diagnosed with Dementia, but does forget things sometimes and may have early onset of Dementia.)
The reporting party had spoken to Betty over the phone after he had reported her as missing. At that time Betty reported she was in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho at some point, and got turned around while looking for fuel to return home. He encouraged her to call 911, but she didn’t think she needed help. When he asked her for a landmark she said she saw a sign that said “Moscow this way.” Since that phone call no one has heard from Betty.
After Betty was assigned as a missing person we received a call from Ephrata Police Department. They claimed to have received a 911 call from Betty on July 4th at about 1:03 a.m.. It was reported to them that she was in a white “fusion” in the US Bank parking lot and she was lost. She claimed she was trying to get home, but didn’t know her address. Betty was offered a room to stay in for the evening, but she refused and just wanted to know how to get to I-90. Officers reported she left the area headed south out of Ephrata.
“We have had a 30 minute ping set up on Betty’s phone, but her phone has been off for the majority of the day,” according to Prineville Police. Detetective Vollmer is working with the FBI to try and navigate her path up to our last phone contact with Betty, and also working on tracking her financials to better concentrate our efforts in the areas she may be in. Betty is listed in LEDS/NCIC so if she is contacted again she will be taken in protective custody to be reunited with her family.”
If you locate Betty or see her vehicle please call police immediately. PPD Case #21000943, and case agents are Sgt. Wilson and Det. Vollmer. You can reach them by calling 541-447-4168, or by email at tvollmer@prinevillepd.org or swilson@prinevillepd.org.
