After a nearly month-long search for an elderly Pittsboro resident, authorities say her body has been located about an hour’s drive from her home.

A release from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday morning confirmed reports from the day before that remains believed to be 83-year-old Alice McIlvaine Parson, who was reported missing in October, were found Wednesday afternoon in Person County. According to the alert, a local farmer discovered the body and a vehicle confirmed to be Parson’s gray 2009 Ford Escape — coming across the SUV one mile off the road and down an embankment.

The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office said while the body fits the description of Parson, it will still await positive identification and determination of the cause of death from the State Medical Examiner. In the meantime, Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson shared his appreciation for the community’s support and people who provided tips during the search for Parson.

“Our deepest gratitude goes to everyone who shared information and helped in our search efforts,” he said in Thursday’s release. “Community involvement is crucial, and we are grateful for the support we received.”

The sheriff’s office first alerted the public to Parson’s disappearance on Sunday, Oct. 20 — three days after the Pittsboro resident was last seen by family members. The family members who had not gotten a response from Parson called to request a welfare check on Oct. 18, and when deputies responded to her residence within the Fearrington Village neighborhood, they found her vehicle missing but her cell phone left at home. Soon after, a wider-spread search by law enforcement began to try and locate her.

WRAL first shared the news of the Person County Sheriff’s Office responding to the discovery of the body on Wednesday night.

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