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NEED TO KNOW
- A North Carolina woman has been found alive nine months after she was reported missing
- The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Tuesday, July 22, that Kelsey Pittman has been located in Colorado
- Pittman’s car was found near Slab City, an off-the-grid California desert community, in February
A woman has been found alive nine months after she was reported missing.
On Tuesday, July 22, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office in Bishop, Calif., confirmed in a press release that North Carolina resident Kelsey Pittman had been located in Colorado after she was first reported missing in November 2024.
“The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office is relieved to announce that Kelsey Pittman has been located alive in the state of Colorado,” authorities stated.
Inyo County Sheriff’s Office/Instagram
This comes after Pittman’s vehicle was discovered on Feb. 9, 2025 near “The Pads or Slab City,” per police. The area refers to an off-the-grid community in the California desert south of Joshua Tree National Park, which Smithsonian Magazine refers to as a “squatter’s paradise.”
George Rose/Getty
At the time, authorities were able to confirm that the car was Pittman’s 2007 Chevrolet HHR.
“A thorough search of both the vehicle and the surrounding area, however, revealed no sign of Pittman,” the release continued.
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Police then began “an extensive missing person investigation and search effort.”
Searching between February and June 2025, authorities said that in a coordinated effort between “multiple law enforcement agencies, drone teams, cadaver dog handlers, and volunteer search and rescue crews,” they executed “exhaustive ground and aerial searches,” but found “no additional physical evidence.”
Inyo County Sheriff’s Office/Instagram
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Police did not give any additional information on Pittman’s condition.
“Out of respect for her privacy and that of her family, no further details will be released,” the statement continued. “We thank our ICSO investigative team, along with the many law enforcement partners, search and rescue volunteers, and community members who assisted in this case and helped share information.”
