Body found in woods believed to be woman missing for months, New Hampshire officials say
A body believed to be that of a New Hampshire woman who went missing months ago has been found less than a mile away from her car, according to officials.
The remains, likely those of Barnstead resident Ashley Turcotte, were discovered in a wooded area on March 16, officials told WBZ.
Turcotte, who was in her early 30s, was last seen on Jan. 4 while shopping at a grocery store in town, according to the Barnstead Police Department. Her vehicle was found parked outside of town hall the next day, but there was no sign of her, police said.
More than two months after her disappearance, the state Fish and Game Department “initiated a large scale land search” in Barnstead, the department said in a March 16 news release. A group of 70 people set out looking for clues, the department said, but after about two hours of searching, they found a body.
The remains were located roughly half a mile from where Turcotte’s car had been parked when she was first reported missing, according to officials.
Snowy conditions at the time of Turcotte’s disappearance made it difficult to search for her, authorities told WMUR.
Additionally, there were no cameras installed at town hall, which could have recorded Turcotte, police told the Laconia Daily Sun in February, adding that cameras have since been put up.
Confirmation that the body is Turcotte’s is still pending, but the Fish and Game Department says it is “believed to be” hers.
Multiple local and state agencies, including the New Hampshire National Guard, assisted in the search, the department said.
Barnstead is about a 30-mile drive northeast of Manchester.
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