Police: 2 bodies found in Portland park in search for teen
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Police searching for a 15-year-old runaway girl found two bodies in a forested park in Portland, but can’t confirm the identities of the bodies until autopsies are completed.
Authorities say Annieka Vaughan ran away with 23-year-old Zachary Petersen on Oct. 30.
Petersen, of Pasco, Washington, was believed to be armed and suicidal.
Petersen’s truck was found in a gravel lot in Forest Park on Monday and Annieka’s backpack was inside.
Sgt. Chris Burley with the Portland Police Bureau says police have informed the families of the discovery in case the bodies turn out to be their loved ones.
The bodies were 80 feet off a trail that’s a 10-minute walk from the truck.
Autopsies could take several days because of a backlog of cases at the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office.