EVANS, Colo. – Authorities have positively identified the body found in a drained detention pond earlier this week as that of a woman missing since October.
Lydia Gutierrez, 62, of Evans was reported missing by police in early October of last year after she was last seen on the evening of Sept. 29 near 37th Street and Highway 85.
Authorities worked fruitlessly for months to find her, and said on March 13 they had found a body in a drained detention pond near the South Platte River while out on a routine check.
On Friday, the Evans Police Department confirmed the body was that of Gutierrez, after the Weld County Coroner’s Office positively identified her earlier this week.
The police department said her cause of death had yet to be determined, but that there was no sign of foul play. The Greeley Tribune reported in November that Gutierrez was an alcoholic who would disappear for days on end, citing conversations with her daughter.
“After months of searching, a different outcome was still hoped for by our officers,” said Evans Police Detective Joseph Kauffman in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the Gutierrez family for the loss of their loved one.”
