Alaska State troopers say that they opened a preliminary investigation and initiated a search after receiving a request for a welfare check from a 56-year-old Willow resident’s employer at 9:15 AM on Monday morning after she failed to show up for work.

Troopers responded to the home of Hattie Labuff-Kilgo in Willow, but had no success in locating her at the residence. The AST investigation would find that Labuff-Kilgo had gone to Petersville on Saturday. A search in that vicinity was initiated and Labuff-Kilgo’s 2011 GMC pickup was located approximately 35 miles from the Parks Highway on Petersville Road. The vehicle was unoccupied.

Following the discovery on Tuesday morning, search and rescue personnel were notified and responded to conduct a search. In a few short hours, at 12:30 PM, searchers found Labuff-Kilgo’s remains approximately three miles from her vehicle.

Labuff-Kilgo’s body was transported to the State Medical Examiner’s office in Anchorage for autopsy, and her next of kin were notified.

  death, deceased, Labuff-Kilgo, missing, petersville, search, troopers, willow