By Jessica Heffner, Staff Writer Updated 4:31 PM Tuesday, November 22, 2011
HARMONY TWP. — A skull found near a creek in Harmony Twp. has been identified as that of a local missing woman.
Faith Willison, 56, disappeared in June 2010. The skull was discovered by a hunter Saturday a half-mile from where Willison’s car was located last year, said Clark County Sheriff Gene Kelly.
A pathologist in Columbus examined the skull Tuesday and made a positive identity using dental records.
Willison was last seen about 11:30 p.m. on June 27, 2010. Her car was located around 6:30 a.m. June 28 after a Frito-Lay delivery driver reportedly saw it crash into a tree in the 12400 block of U.S. 40. He called 9-1-1 but by the time he turned around the driver had disappeared, Kelly said.
Authorities searched the area for days using cadaver dogs and a plane but were unable to locate her. Her shoes were found outside of the car, but there was no sign of trauma and the airbags did not deploy, Kelly said.
On Monday, sheriff’s detectives canvassed the area where the skull was found but were unable to locate any further remains. The skull was discovered near a farm field planted with corn, which has been cultivated for the past two years. This year’s crop has not been harvested.
Authorities had been treating the disappearance as a missing persons case. Other evidence was recently found near the crash site, but Kelly declined to elaborate on what that was.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0344 or jessica.heffner@coxinc.com.
