Authorities: Body found at rest stop is not missing Blackfoot woman
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MALAD — The dead body found Friday afternoon at a southeast Idaho interstate rest area near the Utah state line has been identified and is not a missing Blackfoot woman.
The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office said the deceased individual was found at the Juniper rest area along a sparsely populated stretch of Interstate 84 in southwestern Oneida County around 3:30 p.m. Friday.
Oneida sheriff’s deputies, Idaho State Police and Snowville, Utah, ambulance units responded and identified the deceased individual as a man in his late 50s from the Seattle area. But his name has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.
Authorities said they determined the man died from a possible medical condition. It has not been released how long the body was at the rest area before being discovered.
The Juniper rest area is along a desolate stretch of Interstate 84 about 5 miles from the Utah state line.
When authorities initially stated that the body had been found, no gender was provided, and speculation took hold on social media that the individual could be Kelley Haney, 37, of Blackfoot, who hasn’t been heard from since May 11.
But state police told the Journal Friday evening that the body was an adult male, ending speculation that the mystery of what happened to Haney had possibly been resolved.
Also on Friday the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office provided more information on what authorities know about Haney’s disappearance along with yet another plea to the public for any information regarding her whereabouts.
The Bingham County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that Haney on May 11 asked her parents to pick up her daughter from school because Haney had an appointment with a local chiropractor.
Authorities said it was later determined that Haney never showed up at the chiropractor’s office.
Haney’s family became concerned that they had not heard from her for several hours and began looking for her late on the evening of May 11, and found her pickup truck at Rose Ponds early on the morning of May 12. They then reported her as missing to the authorities.
The Bingham County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that Haney’s keys, purse, cigarettes and cell phone were all found in her pickup, and her sandals were found near the water’s edge. Furthermore, the Sheriff’s Office said footprints were found leading from the sandals to the water.
Emergency responders from multiple agencies have been searching Rose Ponds since May 12 but have not found Haney.
Authorities said they are concerned that Haney might have fallen victim to hypothermia if she had gone swimming in Rose Ponds because the water temperature there is about 45 degrees.
Authorities said the search of Rose Ponds will continue and anyone with any information about Haney is being strongly encouraged to contact the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office at 208-785-1234. Haney’s described as being 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 135 to 150 pounds.
An added concern in the case is that Haney has a thyroid condition and will become very ill without her medication.
The Bingham County Sheriff’s Office said it is “following up on all tips” regarding Haney’s possible whereabouts and is especially interested in anyone who saw Haney on May 11 — the last day anyone heard from her.
This article was originally published in the Idaho State Journal. It is used here with permission.