DECOY, KY — Kentucky State Police are investigating after an 82-year-old Ohio woman reported missing in Knott County was found dead near an abandoned vehicle, authorities said.

Troopers said the case began late Thursday, Oct. 29, after someone found a vehicle abandoned in the Decoy community. A missing person investigation followed, and searchers located the remains of Patricia Leighton of Elyria, Ohio, the next day.

Officials said Leighton was found several hundred yards from the vehicle. The Kentucky State Police said the preliminary findings suggest she became disoriented and left the car after it became inoperable.

Search began after abandoned car was discovered in Decoy

According to Kentucky State Police, the first sign that something was wrong came when an abandoned vehicle was found in the Decoy area of Knott County. That discovery led troopers to open a missing person investigation late on Thursday evening.

Searchers continued working the next day and eventually located Leighton’s remains not far from the vehicle. The distance was described by investigators as several hundred yards.

The timeline suggests the search moved quickly once authorities identified the situation as a possible missing person case. Police have not said who found the vehicle or exactly how long it had been there before the investigation began.

Preliminary findings point to disorientation and a disabled car

Investigators said Leighton suffered from dementia, a detail they say appears relevant to what happened before she was found. Their preliminary assessment is that she became disoriented and abandoned the car after it stopped working.

Troopers did not indicate that they believe another person caused her death. Instead, they said no foul play is suspected at this time.

Those early findings remain preliminary, and authorities have not released a fuller account of Leighton’s final movements. The case is still being handled as an active investigation while officials continue to piece together the sequence of events.

Coroner pronounced Leighton dead at the scene

The Knott County Coroner’s Office pronounced Leighton dead at the scene after she was found in the search area. Authorities did not release additional details about the exact location or the condition in which she was discovered.

Officials have also not said how long Leighton may have been outside the vehicle before searchers found her. The coroner’s involvement underscores that the death was discovered during an emergency response rather than at a hospital or medical facility.

For now, investigators are treating the case as a death investigation tied to the missing person search, with the cause and manner still awaiting further review.

Autopsy and toxicology testing are still pending

Kentucky State Police said autopsy and toxicology results are pending. Those findings are typically used to help confirm what led to a death and whether any medical or environmental factors played a role.

Until those results come back, officials are relying on the initial scene investigation and the circumstances surrounding the abandoned vehicle. Troopers said the incident remains under investigation.

The pending testing means investigators have not yet closed the case or released a final determination. For now, the publicly known facts point to a search that ended with the discovery of a missing woman and an explanation that no foul play is suspected.

What investigators have said about the missing woman’s final hours

The known details suggest Leighton may have been navigating the area alone when her car stopped working. Troopers said she then left the vehicle, apparently became disoriented and was later found dead some distance away.

Because she had dementia, authorities say she may have been especially vulnerable once separated from her car. Even so, investigators have not released a complete reconstruction of her last hours or identified any additional witnesses.

The case remains active as officials wait for testing and continue examining the circumstances that led from the abandoned vehicle to the discovery of her remains.