A Silver Alert issued for a missing Raymon woman, Kathy Lankford, 71, was canceled early Sunday morning when she was found dead inside of her vehicle that was semi-submerged in a creek, according to the Clarion-Ledger . The Pearl Police Department stated that Lankford was reported missing after she failed to return home after dropping off her granddaughter at the softball fields on Center City Drive in Pearl, Mississippi, at around 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Afterward, Lankford was expected to take her husband, Garland, to a church function. Relatives say they began to worry about Lankford’s whereabouts as she reportedly suffers from a mental illness that could impair her judgment.
Two days after the Raymond woman went missing, it was reported that relatives found Lankford dead near her home, inside of her silver 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe that had been driven into a creek. Authorities say that Lankford, a business graduate from Mississippi College, was on her way home when she was traveling on Dry Grove Road in rural Hinds County. Her vehicle veered off the road and crashed into a creek.
Maj. Pete Luke stated that no one reported Lankford’s crash because it was not visible to passing motorists.
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Although investigators were at the scene of the crash scene, reconstructing what may have happened to Lankford before she was found dead inside of her vehicle , circumstances leading up to the crash remain unknown. But according to Lankford’s obituary, it was stated that she suffered a heart attack.
Friends, relatives, and the Raymond community were heartbroken over Lankford’s untimely death. A year ago, Lankford celebrated her retirement with friends, co-workers, and family after spending many years as a human resource manager for McCarty Foods, Deposit Guaranty Bank, Skytel, WorldCom, and Irby Electrical Supply.
Co-workers described Lankford as a caring and loving woman who they would miss dearly.
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Lankford’s funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 17 at the Terry Baptist Church in Terry Mississippi on 209 W Raymond St. from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by a private burial.
The Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, who stated that their thoughts and prayers are with Lankford’s family and friends, has now taken over the investigation.
[Featured Image by Pearl Police Department]
