The family of an Anacortes woman is demanding accountability after she was found dead in Oregon last week after she went missing eight months ago.
Evelyn “Lynn” Smith was last seen on June 23, 2024, around 5 p.m. at her residence, according to a social media post from the Anacortes Police Department. A day later, she was seen at the Peace Arch border crossing in Blaine when she unsuccessfully tried to enter Canada, driving a blue Saturn Aura.
While a Silver Alert was issued by the Washington State Patrol nearly a week after she was last seen, it wasn’t until Feb. 27, 2025 that she was found in her car, a day after what would have been Smith’s 78th birthday.
Oregon State Police responded to a report of a crashed car at the bottom of a 75-foot ravine before noon on Highway 30 in Columbia County, near the Washington-Oregon border. It’s unclear how long the car had been in the embankment but police don’t expect foul play.
It’s likely Smith died of exposure, according to the Columbia County Medical Examiner.
Now Smith’s family is saying her death was the result of a number of systemic failures. In a statement to Cascadia Daily News, her niece Staci Lauritsen said Smith had been in the middle of a severe mental health crisis and had been unable to get the help that she needed despite her family’s best efforts.
“Lynn’s disappearance was not just a tragedy, it was a failure,” Lauritsen said. “It was a failure of the very systems designed to protect our most vulnerable citizens.”
Lauritsen said on the day Smith went missing, she was visibly confused and in distress. At the border, witnesses reported Smith, who had an expired passport, appeared disoriented, unsure of where she was and asked officials for help finding her way home.
“Rather than recognizing her distress and alerting authorities, the Border Patrol simply turned her way and pointed her south, back onto the highway, alone,” Lauritsen said.
Smith’s family took issue with the length of time it took for WSP to issue a Silver Alert and say their concerns were dismissed by the Anacortes Police Department.
They describe the last eight months as filled with “heartbreak, frustration and unanswered questions.”
In reaction to Smith’s disappearance and death, Lauritsen said the family is hoping Smith’s story provides reform in ensuring that vulnerable individuals receive immediate care, treating mental health crises as emergencies and holding law enforcement accountable for their role in missing person cases.
Smith leaves behind two daughters and a number of grandchildren. A GoFundMe organized by Lauritsen for funeral expenses has raised just under $5,000.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
