Just nine days after she began her road trip, though, a couple discovered clothing items on a tree branch while hiking through Mount Baker National Forest in Washington. Then, the couple followed the trail of clothes– which led to an embankment not very far away from Desolation Peak. There, Leah’s wrecked and abandoned Jeep was discovered.
Authorities were contacted, and investigators confirmed that the car had belonged to Leah. They also found a receipt inside the vehicle, which indicated that Leah had gotten gas at an Oregon station four days following her departure from Durham, North Carolina.
However, other strange items were also discovered in the vehicle. Most notably, the police found blankets hanging over the broken Jeep windows– pushing investigators to suspect that someone had been taking shelter inside the car.
Part of Leah’s inheritance from the loss of her parents was also found in the Jeep– including $2,500 cash and her mother’s engagement ring. According to Leah’s friends and family, though, she would have never left behind the ring intentionally.
“As long as I’ve known Leah, she has worn her mother’s engagement ring. It was her most prized possession. And when we discovered that the ring had been found in the car, it was definitely, for me, a bad sign,” said Nicole Bennett, Leah’s roommate.
Leah’s sister, Kara Roberts, also discovered a note that Leah had left in her bedroom before heading on her road trip. The note was reportedly marked with the Cheshire Cat’s smile and read, “I’m not suicidal. I’m the opposite. Remember Jack Kerouac.”
The young woman’s love of the author, along with this note, led many to believe Leah had initially left on her own accord. However, what happened during her trip– and why Leah’s car was found abandoned– remained a mystery.
Leah was subsequently reported missing following the discovery of her Jeep, and around that time, her family members began to check her bank accounts. In doing so, they discovered that Leah had withdrawn large amounts of money while traveling across the country.
The money was taken out at various locations, all along the 23-year-old’s travel route. And this paper trail allowed investigators to track Leah’s travels to Washington.
Most importantly, though, these records revealed that Leah was alive and active in the days leading up to the discovery of her car. However, there has been no other activity on Leah’s bank accounts ever since.
One week after the Jeep was found by the pair of hikers, one unidentified man did reach out to police with a tip. The man claimed that he and his wife had spotted Leah around the same time that her bank activity stopped.