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SALT LAKE CITY — The body of a Salt Lake woman missing for nearly a month was found inside a car partially submerged in a ditch off the Bangerter Highway.
On Wednesday, the Utah Highway Patrol confirmed the victim in the vehicle has been identified as Valerie Gardner, 46, of Salt Lake City. But because of where the car landed in the ditch, it was almost impossible to see and remained unnoticed for nearly a month.
"All of the information that we have found so far leads us to believe that she has been there since Nov. 26," said UHP Lt. Jalaine Hawkes.
Gardner was last seen leaving work in West Valley City on Nov. 26. On that day, the UHP received a 911 call from another motorist who thought they saw a car go into the ravine off the frontage road near the intersection of the Bangerter Highway and state Route 201.
"We did get a 911 call on that afternoon during the time frame she most likely would have been driving through that area," said Hawkes.
But two troopers who responded to the area and searched could not find a car or any evidence of a crash, such as tire tracks in the dirt, Hawkes said.
Gardner was reported missing to police on Nov. 30. Salt Lake police officers pinged her cellphone and were led back to the general area where the the 911 call was made. But again, they did not find anything, according to the UHP.
But on Tuesday, Gardner's car was discovered in a "swampy area" between the freeway on-ramp and the frontage road, by passengers in a car driving on the frontage road, according to the UHP.
Hawkes said because of the way the car was wedged into the ditch at an angle, it was nearly impossible to see. With the weeds and reeds surrounding the vehicle, she said it was hard to see on a clear day. Add that to the snow that has fallen since November, and Hawkes said it resulted in an unfortunate circumstance that made Gardner's vehicle not visible.
Friends and family members had been looking for Gardner since she disappeared and started the Find Valerie Gardner Facebook page.
"It is with broken heart that we announce that Valerie Gardner has died. She and her car were found in a ditch just off of Bangerter Highway in West Valley City," a post on the page announced Wednesday.
Some family members went to the scene where Gardner's car was found Tuesday night after hearing of the discovery.
"One of the specific things that they mentioned was having some closure and just having some answers, especially coming up on the holidays, to be able to kind of have that knowledge of what happened," Hawkes said.
The investigation into what happened to Gardner was still ongoing Wednesday. Hawkes said her cellphone was found in the car and a search warrant will be served on it. Investigators will also look for surveillance video from nearby businesses to see if anyone captured the incident.
"At this time we have no evidence of foul play, but we have not completely ruled it out," Hawkes said.
