An Ohio mother was found dead in a hammock after disappearing during a camping trip in Alabama two months earlier.
On Wednesday, the Alabama Department of Forensic Science confirmed that the deceased body found by a hunter in Talladega National Forest on November 30 belonged to 41-year-old Vendula Wendy Rose.
The Walmart employee and Czech Republic resident left for a solo camping trip on September 20, but when she didn’t return home to Marysville on October 2, her loved ones became concerned.
Before leaving, she called her family and friends and told them she was going for a walk, adding that she would “leave some personal belongings in a safe deposit box at her bank” and that she had also “left her work keys with her employer.” “, the police said.
According to a timeline released by the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Department, Rose made it from Ohio to Alabama that same day — about a 10-hour drive — where she “hiked that portion of the Pinhoti Trail” located in the Dugger Mountain area of Cleburne and Calhoun. District.
Three days later, she made her way to South Carolina before driving back to Alabama late the next day, where CCTV footage captured her “making a purchase from a business” before leaving alone for Oxford.
She was reported missing on October 4 after failing to show up for work, when police found her car at the Pinhoti Trail Head, where “an immediate search of the park was conducted,” including the deployment of K9 teams, several law enforcement agencies, fire departments and rescue crews.
Although authorities did not find her remains until about a month later, they did search her vehicle, which contained “multiple notes considered abnormal for Rose unless she was having a mental health crisis,” as well as a “magazine” and “a box of ammunition that was missing seven cartridges’.
On Wednesday, the Alabama Department of Forensic Science confirmed the deceased body was found Nov. 30 in Talladega National Forest by Vendula hunter Wendy Rose, 41 years old.
Rose had gone camping alone on September 30, but when she didn’t come home on October 2, her loved ones became concerned. (Photo: the hammock she was found in)
Rose’s cause of death has not yet been released, but police said at the time that they had “no evidence that would lead us to believe foul play was involved in this case,” adding that they believe she was “suffering from mental health issues.” . crisis’.
Her loved ones quickly set out to help find Rose after she went missing in October, when a “Missing Wendy Rose” Facebook page was created.
Her daughter, Dana Rose, posted constant updates on her mother’s status from the beginning.
On October 7, Dana posted several photos of Rose and said, “This is my mom. She is stubborn, frustrating, innovative, smart, stupid and, in a true motherly way, one of the most important people in my life.
“She’s missing from me in the Talladega Forest area, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t traveled to the Appalachian Trail area. If you see her or know anything, please call your local police and give them information about Vendula Rose,” Dana said, adding, “I love you mom, and I hope you are safe.”
As the weeks passed without answers, Dana continued posting to the page in hopes of finding her mother alive.
Rose was a mother to her daughter Dana, as the couple shared a passion for flying airplanes. (Photo: Rose with her husband David and their daughter David)
By the time Thanksgiving arrived, just days before her mother’s body was found, Dana shared her sadness at not having celebrated the holiday together.
“Happy Thanksgiving everyone. This year my dining room table will be empty. there will be no bramborová kaše, no turkey breast, no steamed vegetables or stuffing.
‘My mother’s silent absence will echo through my walls. “The memories of the past few years will haunt me at home as I make pierogi dough with only my cats for company,” her heartbroken daughter wrote.
Despite hoping that she and her mother would get together to cook for the holidays next year, Dana reported three days later that her mother’s remains had been found.
‘I miss you more than words can describe. the pain in my heart only grows with every minute without you,” she wrote.
The mother and daughter shared a passion for flying planes when Rose became a pilot in 2016, and Dana later followed in her footsteps as a flight instructor at Bowling Green State University.
Dana told me earlier WIAT that Rose was more than a mother and said, “You can’t put her in a box.”
Rose’s cause of death has not yet been released, but police said they have “no evidence that would lead us to believe foul play is involved in this case,” adding that they believe she was “suffering from a mental health crisis.” .
Rose’s coworkers also responded to the tragic news of her death, when one of them, Cindy Taylor Sheldon, set up a memorial for her at the Walmart store where they worked together.
Often called “Wendy,” Rose was born in the small Czech town of Kolin before moving to the United States in 2001 at the age of 18 after meeting her husband David when he visited Prague.
‘He got lost and asked her for directions, and then he asked if she wanted to go dancing with him. From there they fell in love,” Dana told the outlet.
In addition to working security at Walmart, Rose engaged in multiple jobs and occupations, including training dogs, writing poetry, working as a mechanic, testing cars and riding horses.
Dana added that her mother really thrived in nature and “always talked about living in a cabin.”
She also noted that she will always remember her mother’s big heart in particular as she recalled Rose feeding a homeless man while walking through Zaleski State Forest in September.
Sarah Rose, who said she was Rose’s sister-in-law, also took to Facebook to share the devastating discovery.
‘It is with great sadness that we report that Wendy was found deceased today. While this was not the outcome we were hoping for, we realize that having closure is a blessing.
Often called “Wendy,” Rose was born in the small Czech town of Kolin before moving to the United States in 2001 at the age of 18 after meeting her husband David when he visited Prague.
“We would like to thank the hunter who found her and reported it immediately so she could be recovered. We would also like to thank the walking and general community for the way they all worked together to look for her and for the messages of support we have received throughout this process,” Sarah said.
Rose’s coworkers also responded to the tragic news of her death, when one of them, Cindy Taylor Sheldon, set up a memorial for her at the Walmart store where they worked together.
“I set this up at the Marysville Walmart where Wendy worked. Wendy made the wire trees herself and they are beautiful to look at. We are all blessed to have known her!,” Sheldon said.
In her memory, several frames with Rose’s photos, a candle and two wire trees were left on a table.
Sheriff Jon Daniel of the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Department thanked everyone who helped find Rose, adding that he will keep her family in his prayers.
“I would ask everyone who has been watching this case and sharing the updates along the way to continue to pray for this family as well,” Daniel added.
DailyMail.com contacted the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Department, the Alabama Department of Forensic Science and Walmart for comment.