Body of missing Kennewick woman found in Columbia River near Richland
.JPG "The Interstate 182 bridges cross the Columbia River between Pasco and Richland.")
The body of a missing Kennewick woman was found Friday night in the Columbia River.
Sandra Peterson, 50, left her home on the 5300 block of Cascade Street sometime late Wednesday or early Thursday, Kennewick police said in a release posted on Thursday.
She had driven away in a car without her phone or ID, and the car was later found abandoned in Richland.
About 5:30 p.m. Friday, Columbia Basin Dive Rescue crews were called after a report of a body seen underwater near the twin Interstate 182 bridges between Richland and Pasco.
Benton County Coroner Bill Leach said investigators believe Peterson entered the water near the Columbia Point Marina and may have been overcome by hypothermia. Her body was found not far downstream, under the highway bridges.
She was spotted by a man who was helping search for her using a drone, said Leach.
Her family had told police that she had been suffering a mental health crisis which may have contributed to her disappearance.
This story was originally published April 2, 2022 at 11:16 AM.