Missing woman Hope Tucker was found dead this morning to the West of the Sienna Hills community on the north side of the I-10.
She was located with the remains of her dog, who also went missing at the same time. According to the news release by Buckeye Police Department, there were no obvious signs of trauma. Tucker's cause of death is being investigated by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office.
"Investigators haven't found any evidence of foul play in this case," BPD Public Information Officer Carissa Planalp said in a Facebook live press conference today.
According to a news release from BPD, officers began a search line at 5 a.m. this morning in the desert west of Sienna Hills near Verrado Way and Thomas Rd. Tucker and her dog were located just before 6:30 a.m. approximately 1.5 miles away from the highway. Planalp said they were near brush on the side of the hill in an undeveloped area west of Sienna Hills. Tucker was not close to any of the homes and did not have a cell phone or water on her person.
"The Buckeye Police Department extends our sincerest condolences to the Tucker family," reads the release. "We also thank the community, law enforcement partners and media partners who played a role in resolving this search and bringing closure to Hope's loved ones."
NEW DETAILS
It is believed that Tucker passed away on May 22, Planalp said, the day her car broke down on the side of the highway. At the time, she was with her dog and adult son who is diagnosed with autism and has extremely limited communication abilities. According to Tucker's son, they left the vehicle and sought shade. Planalp said it's not known why Tucker and her son went north, but that where her body was located is consistent with the information the son was able to communicate. At about 11 a.m. that same day, a state trooper found the abandoned vehicle near milepost 119 and had it towed. The vehicle has since been recovered from the tow yard by BPD.
Hope Tucker's son was located on May 24 when BPD responded to a call for indecent exposure at the QT on Watson Road where they found him publicly urinating. He appeared to be in medical distress and was severely dehydrated, Planalp said during the press conference. At the time, BPD did not know the man was Tucker's son. He was transported to the hospital.
"What was going on those two days, we don't know," Planalp said. "But when we did have contact with him on the 24th, he appeared to be dehydrated and definitely in medical distress."
Tucker's son spent approximately one month in the hospital. When he was discharged on June 22, he told a relative about what happened a month prior. The relative contacted Phoenix Police Department, which sent the case to BPD. At that time, BPD realized he was the man who was transported to the hospital from QT on May 24.
BPD released a missing person's notice for Tucker on June 23 and the investigation ensued.
When asked why Hope's disappearance was not reported while her son was hospitalized, Planalp said Hope did not have a permanent addresses and was not employed.
"If someone is missing for an extended amount of time, that's going to be reported by an employer or a neighbor who stops by the home," she said. "So, without those two factors, plus we were a month behind by the time we received the report, so this was challenging. But, with all the help we received, we were able to provide this update today."
BPD conducted the search with the help of multiple local agencies which, according to the press release, included Gila River Police, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Border Patrol and a specialized forensic interviewer who aided in obtaining information from Tucker's son.
Read more Hope Tucker - InBuckeye.com
